Sub Zero
by DKM
Summary: A case involving a gun buying French national goes awry, and Van and Billie are stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no help in sight. Will they make it out of this mess alive, or will someone die from a bad decision? Read and find out.
1. Aspen, Colorado, Right Now…

_**Sub Zero**_

Author: DKM

Synopsis: A case involving a gun-buying French national goes awry, and Van and Billie are stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no help in sight. Will they make it out of this mess alive, or will someone die from a bad decision? Read and find out.

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: I'm on a roll, people! There's a lot of writing to be done this year, and I am so ready for it!

Dedication: It seems like I'm doing a lot of these lately, but they are important to me because they keep me going. This story is dedicated to my dear friend, Slally, from the Witchblade side of this site. She was a good friend and a wonderful writer. She'll be missed greatly.

Disclaimer: All rights to Fastlane belong to Fox and any of its affiliated networks. Any lyrics used in this story belong to the artists. I'm just messing around here to make my life a little less shitty, so please don't take it personally.

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"Cover me!" Billie Chambers yelled over a shower of bullets to her temporary partner, Van Ray. The pair was hidden behind a steel pillar in a dimly lit, condemned warehouse. Miles away from the winter getaways of Aspen, Colorado, they sat together, avoiding their would-be murderers until the absolute last moment. This was definitely a bust gone badly if they ever saw one. Nothing could have prepared them for this. It seemed as if the whole case had been doomed from the start, and this was a culmination of everything that had happened in the pervious week.

"Alright!" Van hollered back as he reloaded his gun, peeked out from the side of the pillar, and opened fire. Another storm of bullets exploded from the other side of the warehouse where three men took cover behind a steel door. He could only hope that the distraction would work. The last thing he wanted was for Billie to get hurt on his watch. He didn't need another dead partner.

Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, Billie hopped out of her hiding place and made a bee-line for the rusty back door behind them. It was their only way out of this mess, and if she could reach it, hopefully things would get better for her and Van. More bullets whizzed past her body, miraculously managing to avoid her. She reached the old door and used all the force she could muster to pull it open. It gave way with a strong tug, cold air blasting into her face from outside.

Positioning herself against the side of the building, Billie yelled, "Come on, Van!" as she pulled out the extra gun in her boot. Without bothering to look where she was pointing, she began to fire.

Van, hearing her call his name, breathed a short live sigh of relief. It was his turn to sprint out from behind the pillar as more gunfire echoed through the warehouse. Every step he took without getting hit was encouraging. Just a few more meters stood between him and a clear getaway, except that wouldn't be the case today.

Moments before Van stepped out the door, a bullet ripped through his right shoulder, sending him tumbling into the snow at Billie's feet. She stood there, the scene playing out in slow motion as she watched in horror; her bright blue eyes wide open in shock.

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Stay tuned for more. I know I left it at a really awful place for the first chapter, but come on! The best part about reading is trying to find out what will happen next. Please review! Authors need a muse. Mine just happens to be reviews. 


	2. LAX Nine Days Ago…

_LAX Nine Days Ago…_

Billie stood at the head of the metal interrogation room table, her eyes narrowed and shining in the bright fluorescent light that bounced off the stark white walls of the interrogation room. The thirty year old man in front her merely gazed at his fingernails as she stared him down with one of her trademark looks. He was ugly, by her standards, with sharp facial features, badly trimmed facial hair, and a polyester suit that made her think of the 70's. He smelled like he hadn't bathed in weeks, and there must have been at least a gallon of gel in his black hair. In her hand was a folder with several sheets of paper, outlining every single charge that AFT had against him.

"Xavier Rousseau, you've been a very naughty boy," Billie taunted as she threw the folder down on the table and let it slide to him. "Trying to smuggled guns out of the US; that'll get you a good 25 to life."

Rousseau glanced at the folder momentarily before looking back down at his fingers. "I know that is not why I am here," he replied in his thick, sophisticated French accent, not bothering to even look up at her as he spoke. He had been in this position many times before. It didn't faze him anymore. In fact, it made him just a little more careful every time he got caught. It also made him all the less loyal to anyone who tried to corner him.

"You're a smart man, Xavier," she said, a vicious smile crossing her cherry red lips. "I know what you want, and you know what I want." Billie knew she was crossing dangerous ground with what she was about to ask him to do. Xavier Rousseau was loyal to almost no one, including the police. If she could pin him just right, maybe he'd fold just the way she wanted him to and get the last laugh in the end.

Rousseau chuckled. "I want what every criminal wants, a, how do you say, get out of jail free card," he retorted, his muddy brown eyes finally looking up at her. It made Billie's skin crawl, the way he looked at her. She wanted to throw up as his eyes scanned her scantily clad figure approvingly and a smile appeared on his thin, pale lips. "Now, tell me, what do you want?"

"Give up your boss and I might give you that get out of jail free card you want," Billie answered, placing her hands on the table in front of her to look as menacing as she possibly could. But it didn't seem to work with Rousseau. He folded his arms over his chest and continued to stare at her, a look of contemplation registering on his face.

"How about you also give me a ticket back to France as well?" Rousseau tried to deal himself a little more than what she was willing to give him.

"How about I put you back in a cell and make you someone's prison bitch?" Billie shot back. It was the most intimidating thing she could say to get her point across. She wasn't dealing anything else. There was no way she'd give him a free ticket home. If she had to twist he leg, she'd make him cooperate. "That would be very interesting. I think the boys in Chino would have a lot of fun with you. You do know what happens in prison, don't you, Xavier? Because if you don't, I'll make sure you get a lesson you'll never forget."

And with that, she had him. The sheer look of terror on Rousseau's face put a smile on her own. He'd heard enough stories about what happens in American prisons not to ever want to be in one. "Fine," he quickly answered. "His name is Drayden Abney."

"That's a good start," Billie replied, taking a seat across from him. "What else?"

"He is in the United States looking for more weapons," he explained.

Billie had finally found the perfect way in. "Alright, this is what I want you to do. You're going to give him my name and tell him I have the goods he's looking for." Rousseau nodded his head. "I want you to set up a meeting, and once that's done, I'll take it from there." And with that, he was dismissed, allowed to go free, but that didn't mean she wouldn't keep her eye on him. Billie knew Rousseau's kind. He was a snake that could easily slip out of her hands and bit her in the ass. She'd have to watch him very closely.

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First, I wanna thank everyone who's reviewed. You guys rock! Thanks for keeping my muse alive! Second, I wanna say I'm sorry I didn't continue with what's going on in Aspen. I just thoughta little background info was needed before hand. But don't worry, I will continue with it soon. As always, please read and review. I really do appreciate all of you for doing it. It makes my day to see there's an email in my mailbox with someone's comment on my story. Thank you sooooo much! 


	3. Aspen Right Now…

_Aspen Right Now…_

"Van!" Billie heard herself shriek. As if being possessed by another being, she took hold of his good arm and pulled him away from the door just as more bullets flew past them. They landed in a snow bank with Van on top and Billie cushioning him. A moment of stunned amazement passed between them before they finally picked themselves up and made a run for it into the dense forest that surrounded the warehouse.

Although the pain from the gunshot wound radiated throughout his body with every step he took, Van kept running, his fear of being caught far more prevalent. There was another reason he kept going; he didn't want to let Billie down. If that meant enduring a little pain, then so be it.

The opposite was on Billie's mind. She was well beyond worried. This assignment had far exceeded any worst case nightmare scenario she could possibly think of, especially now that Van was hurt and maybe even bleeding to death. She blamed herself for not being able to protect him, and even more for not taking the bullet herself.

The pair continued to run through the thick underbrush as the sound of gunfire slowly receded in the background. But that was the least of their problems. They were lost, had no food or medical supplies, and darkness was quickly approaching. The sun had just begin to sink on the horizon, it's orange-red rays becoming muddied in the thick white clouds that were fast approaching from the east.

Billie slowed her pace to a walk, taking a few deep breaths and allowing Van to catch up as she placed the gun into the waistband of her jeans. He had slowed down considerably since the gunfire began to fade, worrying her to the point where she didn't know if she could take it anymore. It was time to find out how badly he was hurt. As he finally reached her, she immediately took stock of the pastiness of his face and the large red stain on his sky blue parka.

"Oh, God, Van!" Billie cried, shock permeating her voice. She stopped in her tracks and faced him.

"It's just a scratch," Van weakly replied as he leaned up against a tree and slowly began to slide down until he was sitting in the snow, exhausted and out of breath. He wasn't about to let her see how much pain he was in. His shoulder felt as if it was on fire, and the cold wasn't helping much as it blew past his face and into the hole in his sleeve.

Billie knelt down beside him and began to unzip his coat. "That's a load of crap and you know it," she retorted, slowly pulling down the sleeve to reveal more blood on his cream cable knit sweater. One look in his grey green eyes said it all. Van was in a lot more pain than he would ever let on. It ripped at Billie's heart strings to ever see him hurting. She couldn't help but blame herself for what happened. This was exactly why she preferred to work alone.

Slowly and gently, Billie pulled back Van's sweater to reveal the bloody hole in his shoulder. The good news was that it had started clotting. The bad news was that it had been a through and through, in one side and out the other.

Van bit down on his lip to keep from screaming as Billie continued to examine his shoulder. Her thumbs gently pressed into the skin around the wound, sending even more intense pain shooting through his body. He groaned his discomfort without meaning to, making Billie's head turn sharply so their eyes met. There was a sparkle to those deep blue orbs that Van couldn't discern.

'Damn it!' Billie angrily thought. Her fears and worries increased with that one little sound. The only way she could think of distracting him was by saying, "Quit being such a baby. You said it yourself, it's only a scratch." A weak smile appeared on Van's lips telling her she had succeeded in keeping him from realizing how worried she really was. Her attention now turned to dressing the wound before it got worse.

Pulling out her trusty switchblade from her back pocket, Billie cut away the sleeve of Van's sweater to use it as a makeshift tourniquet. Her trembling hands wrapped it around his shoulder twice before she tightly tied if off. "You're done," she said, zipping up his jacket before he caught a chill as well.

A crackling in the bushes behind them startled the pair into silence. Both their heads turned in every direction trying vainly to determine where the sound came from and what caused it. Billie put a finger to her lips when Van tried to say something and pointed to her left. Reaching into the waistband of her jeans, she pulled the gun out and aimed it in that direction.

Van could only stare in apprehension as she tiptoed back into the woods. In seconds, she was out of his sight. Moments felt like hours as he waited for any sign of her safe return. Panic was beginning to wash over him as he sat there in the cold, the night slowly creeping up on him.

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Finally, a little more about Aspen! I hope that whet your paletts for the time being. I'd like to thank all those of you who have been reading and reviewing my story: 

simbagirl: Your comments are always appreciated. As you can tell, Van is doing okay, but as in all my stories, there's gonna be a twist soon. BTW, your story has definitely got me wondering what you're going to put Van through yourself. Please update soon!

prplerayne: I love you, girl! You beta my story, and you review. You are totally awesome! BTW, lovin' where your story is going. I can't wait for more.

Francesca: I love Van/Billie stories too! There need to be more on this board! And, as you've pretty much found out, Van's fine. But that's not always gonna be the case in this fic.

Nina: Thanks for being one of my muses! It's much appreciated! I need all I can get in order to finish this story. I'm so glad you like it.

fan4fastlane: I'm awful, aren't I, they way I just leave everyone hanging for a while, until now, but then I do it again? I don't mean to be. It just happens. But I really appreciate that you're reading and reviewing. I'm glad you appreciated the background. I hope it foreshadows a little of what's going to happen in the rest of the story. Thanks for your reviews!

ackeberlynn: Hey there! I'm so glad you noticed how I'm trying to stay true to the show in this fic. I think I mentioned that in the email I sent you about your review. I really do appreciate that you're paying attention to the details. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Angy: I'm glad you liked the beginning of the story. Thank you so much for your review. I really appreciate it!

Avillie: I like your pen name! It's really cool! What does it mean/stand for? Still, it's really cool. So glad you like the story. I really appreciate your review! And I can't wait to see what you're planning with your story. Very interesting start! I can't wait for more! Please update soon!


	4. The Candy Store One Week Earlier…

I hope this chapter answers some important questions, like where the hell is Deaq. Responses to reviews at the bottom. :)

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_The Candy Store One Week Earlier… _

The sound of a bouncing basketball echoed through the Candy Store early that Monday morning as Van dribbled down the half court practicing for the next game of one on one he'd challenge Deaq to. He was the first to arrive for once, his partner probably still getting ready and his boss probably on her way. There were plenty of things on his mind from the previous weekend. Deaq had planned a ski trip to Mammoth, but at the last minute Van cancelled, sighting his lack of sleep in the past few weeks as his reason. The real reason was that he couldn't handle another day with his partner. He needed a break from everyone and some time to himself, to think, to contemplate life, to do things he had been meaning to do. But now that he was back at work, he was glad that only two days had been spent on thinking, because those two days had driven him nuts.

After making a lay-up, Van heard the sound of the back door slamming shut and a pair of high heels clicking their way towards him along with another clicking sound that he couldn't identify. He turned around while wiping the sweet off his forehead with the sleeve of his black long sleeved t-shirt. Across the cavernous theater-turned-warehouse, Billie slowly sauntered to her office in her black three inch spiked heels. Behind her, Deaq hobbled in on a pair of crutches, his left foot braced in a large white plaster cast, and a scowl present on his face.

"Thanks for the ride Billie," he muttered, making his way to the lounge a few meters away from her office at the center of the warehouse. Billie merely nodded her reply from her comfy desk chair as she switched on her computer. Gingerly, Deaq lowered himself on the large, overstuffed red velvet couch, propping his leg up like the doctor had ordered.

The ball dropped from Van's hands as he asked, "What the hell happened to you?"

Deaq glared at his partner. "Ask Aquarius," he grumbled.

Van plopped down on the other end of the couch, unfazed by his partner's anger. He missed something interesting that weekend, and now he was cursing himself for not going. "Well, I'd ask him, but you're the one who has him on speed dial," Van countered.

Deaq sat silent for a few minutes refusing to speak. He had no desire to tell anyone what had happened over the weekend, but when Van started to reach for the phone in his left pocket, he swatted his hand away and finally gave in.

"I had an accident," Deaq barked, skirting around the full explanation.

"Lemmie guess, you were snowboarding and flew into a snow bank," Van finished, grinning. The image in his mind was the look of Deaq's face firmly planted in snow. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"No," Deaq sharply interrupted, glaring at him again.

He was getting ready to give a full explanation of that weekend's events when Billie piped in, "He slipped on black ice down a flight of stairs at the hotel."

Both Van and Deaq turned their heads to look at her. Billie didn't need to glance up from her computer screen to know that Deaq was staring daggers at her. Van, on the other hand, was a different story.

"Dude!" he burst, unable to contain himself. Laughter erupted soon after. "That is so uncool!" Van added as he wiped a tear from his right eye. "Man, I know you're good at snowboarding, but that is totally not the way to go down on a ski trip."

It seemed as if Deaq would lunge at him any moment, but he stayed put when he heard Billie's heels clicking towards them. She stood before her employees in a black skirt suit, her bright blue eyes twinkling. "I guess that means I'm taking your place on our next case," she said, throwing a manila folder she had pulled out of her desk just seconds before into Van's lap. He caught it and opened the file as she continued to explain, "Drayden Abney is a French national with ties to the black market arms trade. Rumor has it he's been supplying everyone in the Middle East with weapons. And even bigger rumor is that he's wanted for the murder of several gun dealers in LA, New York, Chicago, Miami, Vegas, and several other cities. He's now looking to stock up on some new merchandise." Billie pointed to herself and Van, "We are posing as two potential sellers. We'll be using the guns we recovered from the Super G case. Deaq, you'll be doing surveillance."

The blank expression on Deaq's face told Billie all she needed to know. He was going to hate this assignment, but what could she do about it? There was no way she'd send him into action injured. Too many bad things could happed, and she wasn't about to let that weigh on her conscience, like so many other things had. This was the only decision to be made. "I'm sorry, Deaq," Billie apologized, "but I can't let you go out like that."

Deaq signed deeply, allowing himself to sink deeper into the comfortable cushions of the couch. "I understand," he barely mumbled, his head down with his chin resting on his chest. Billie looked away. She hated to see her men feeling so low. Wordlessly, she made her way back to her office and sat down in front of her computer.

"Sorry, man," Van reached over and patted his partner's shoulder. There was a clear look of disdain on Deaq's face, prompting Van to pull away quickly before his hand was blown off with his partner's Desert Eagle. He had pushed enough of the poor man's buttons; it was time he stopped and left him alone.

Van turned his attention to Billie. "So, when are we meeting this Drayden guy?" he asked in a raised voice so she could hear him as he grabbed the remote from the oversized coffee table beside the couch and turned on the TV in the corner behind Deaq's head.

"Tonight," Billie answered over her shoulder as she opened the LAPD database, along with several other government databases.

Van threw the remote over to his partner and stood up. After stretching for a moment, he followed Billie's path to the office and sat down in one of the round black leather chairs facing her desk. "And…?" he continued questioning.

"And what?" Billie shot back as she tapped on the keyboard of her Mac, bringing up several files on the man they were after. Van was persistent, she gave him that much, but when he got nosy, it just made her angry.

"Care to elaborate on what's going down tonight?" Van dumbly answered, folding his arms across his chest and giving her a hard stare. He didn't like it when Billie withheld information from him, and had made that point clear on several occasions. Today was no different. She was holding something back, and he'd wait in her office for as long as it took her to give it up.

"You and I are going to Ryde tonight," Billie said, her eyes still refusing to connect with his. She continued bringing up information on Drayden Abney until her desktop was filled with windows on his background and everything the government knew about him. As if they were on the same wavelength, Billie knew she was holding something back from her temporary partner. She also knew that it was eating away at him, but she refused to say a word, fearing that he'd do or say something to jeopardize the case when he found out. Van was somewhat of a loose cannon, and keeping him on a need to know basis was the only way she was going to keep him from going off, especially when it had to do with Xavier Rousseau. The two had a past; at least that's what it said in his file. She didn't know how deep it ran, and would rather test the waters in a situation where she could control her employee rather than tell him now and let him come up with some kind of scheme that could possibly put them in danger.

"Fine, be that way," Van seethed in a barely audible voice as he pushed himself off the chair and marched out of her office. "I just hope this isn't another Gavin West," he hollered without looking back at her reaction.

"What did you say?" Billie calmly asked, stopping Van cold. He could feel the chill of her words rush down his spine. An exposed nerve had been hit within her, and now it was her turn to get angry.

Van turned around and faced the menacing woman he called his boss. A cold stare from her icy blue eyes felt as if it was going to bore a hole through his chest if he didn't move out of her way. But he stayed put, choosing to stand his ground instead. "What's so need to know that you can't tell me right now?" Van nearly raised his voice to a yell. "Do you have some kind of history with the guy that you're refusing to tell me about that just might jeopardize the case, like what happened with Gavin West? Or is it something else that you're keeping from me? Why can't you just tell me right now and save me the sarcasm, because I'm not in the mood for it!" His voice continued to rise until he was yelling at her. By the end of his little speech, Van was livid. His grey green eyes sparkled with an underlying fire as he waited for her to speak.

Billie stared at him for a few moments. Without warning, her right fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him to the ground. "Are you in the mood for that?" Billie calmly asked, "Because I got plenty more where it came from." She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and picked him up off the ground so their eyes met in another intense glare. "You know what, Van? You're on a need to know basis, and when you need to know, I'll tell you! Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Van sheepishly replied, his voice so low she could barely hear him. Billie let go of his shirt, though, and he dropped back down to the ground. "Bitch," he said under his breath as he felt his lip for any blood.

The scene played out in front of Deaq's eyes just as he thought it would, except for maybe that punch from Billie. That was unexpected. The only time he could remember her punching someone else other than himself was when she and Roland Hill got into a spat over her policies at the Candy Store. It nearly cost all them their jobs, but it was a punch to see. Never in his life had he seen anyone go to the mat for her teammates like she did.

But now, all Deaq could do was shake his head, knowing that anything Van said when he was angry was on the fly, as in flying out of his mouth without thinking first. There was no beating around the bush when Van got mad; he went straight for the jugular. It didn't matter to him who got hurt. He'd say what was on his mind then regret it. Shoot first and ask questions later. The motto seemed fitting.

Van was slowly ambled back to the couch, his lip beginning to swell slightly as he poked and prodded it with his finger. "That was one hell of a punch, partner," Deaq said as he took his previous seat on the opposite end of the couch.

"Be glad you weren't on the receiving end this time," Van retorted, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to clear his mind. "I swear, there are some days where I wish she'd just die and go to hell already," he continued, saying the last part loudly enough for Billie to hear him.

"I'm already in hell," she yelled back from her desk.

"I should have just come to Mammoth with you this weekend. At least dealing with her would have been a little easier afterwards," Van said, letting Billie's comment go in one ear and out the other. He knew both of them never really meant what they said. It was all for show, who was smarter, wittier, and had the best comeback.

Deaq continued to sit back and shake his head. The tension between his boss and his partner would always be there, no matter what. He'd just have to keep dealing with it, and maybe referee every once in a while if anything got out of hand. But today he agreed with Billie. Van was in dire need of a bitch slap for the way he'd been running his mouth off lately. Maybe a little slapping around would do him some good.

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I wanna thank everyone again for reviewing. I really really really appreciate it. It helps alot to know there are people reading this story. Thank you.

prplerayne: Yeah, I left Van in the woods. I'm sorry! But don't worry, well, do worry, but not for too long. There will be more soon!

ackeberlynn: Question answered:) Sorry it took so long to get him into the story. There was just too much stuff I needed to cover beforehand. Besides, I've made some pretty big changes in my outline so it's not all going as I intended, but this is actually a lot better than what I had. Thanks for reading!

Avillie: 2 reviews! can be such a pain in the ass sometimes. But, what can we do? Besides bitch and moan about it? I'm still wondering what that first one said... But the shortened version was pretty damn good! I'm so glad you like the story. Thank you!

fan4fastln: I'm so glad you're liking the Van/Billie complex. I've always wanted to write this kind of story, but never got around to it until now when a whole lotta stuff happened in my life and I really started to think about writing again. It helps me a whole lot, being able to write something and post it and get responses to it. I'm so glad that you're reading my story and reviewing. Thank you!

I also want to thank all those of you who are reading but not reviewing. So thank you. I hope that you will review one day because it does keep me writing, especially if you really like the story. But thank you none the less.


	5. Club Ryde That Night…

_Club Ryde That Night… _

"How did you get this meeting anyway?" Van asked as he pulled up to the curb in front of Ryde. It was nearly midnight in LA and the crowd outside the club was itching to get in. He glanced over at Billie and realized she was continuing to be tight lipped about what was going down tonight. Her eyes remained on the crowd beside them, the people standing outside staring at the Aston Martin that had just pulled up and wondering who was in it.

Van didn't like it. There was just something about her surprises that made him cringe. They were never good, and the one case that Van couldn't forget was the Gavin West case. He'd brought it up earlier, and for good reason. Since then, he'd never really been able to trust Billie when it came to the information she gave and withheld. Not only had she withheld information about the case, but also about herself. When Capt. Parish had come in to talk to them about her heroin addiction, Van realized there was much more to Billie than he first thought. What made it worse was the fact that he and Deaq were sent in to spy on her because Parish didn't trust her either. From that moment on, Van knew he needed to keep an eye on her. It sucked that he couldn't trust his own boss, but what could he do about that now after she'd given him no choice?

"Fine, be the cold, heartless bitch, but when it comes back to bite you in the ass, don't come crying to me," Van said as the valet opened the door for him and his "partner." He slid out of the driver's seat and walked over to Billie's side of the car to take her arm and walk her to the door. She was still rigid and mute as the bouncer waved them in without a second glance. It made his skin crawl that he needed to act like they were friends, maybe even lovers, just so the case could go smoothly. But what bugged him the most were her reasons for doing it. He could never figure them out.

"I'm not a cold, heartless bitch," Billie finally said in her defense once they were inside, the pulsating trance music nearly drowning out her voice. She ripped her arm away from his and made a beeline for the bar. After a car ride like that, Billie needed a stiff drink. Van was one of the most annoying men on earth, she realized. He just wouldn't shut up! How Deaq could put up with him after all these months and not kill him baffled Billie.

In her mind, the evening started out quietly enough. Van arrived at the Candy Store around eleven, dressed in a dark blue tailored suit and a stripped button down shirt. He seemed ready for a confrontation with her as he pushed through the door, a scowl present on his handsome face. But the moment he laid eyes on her as she leaned back against her desk waiting for him, he stopped. His face softened in a look of awe.

Billie knew it was the dress, a beautiful Robert Cavalli number she'd borrowed from the Candy Store cache just for that evening. It was black, with a sheer mesh top that showed off her well toned abdomen and arms, and strategically places hand sewn flowers that barely covered her breasts. The bottom was made of luxurious black velvet, a flowing train finishing off the masterpiece of fashion design. It showed just enough skin to tantalize anyone, man or woman. With Van, it was pretty obvious. His facial expressions said it all. Just one look in those grey green eyes told her what he was thinking; he wanted her. But in the moment it took for her to see it, the lust was gone, replaced by embarrassment and anger.

"Come on, we have to get going," Van had told her as he grabbed her arm, his eyes looking straight ahead, trying to avoid staring at her. He knew Billie had seen the look in his eyes. It was a moment he wished hadn't have happened. But she'd caught him by total surprise, and he wasn't able to help himself. From that point on, his focus had been on how he wanted to handle everything, what he expected out of the meeting, and how he wanted to play everything. He went on and on about it as they drove through LA.

'Typical,' Billie thought as she sat silently listening to his grand scheme. 'Men: so overbearing and egotistical.' She just shook her head, knowing the moment Abney arrived she'd have all the power. She was the boss, and therefore the leader. Billie wasn't about to take orders from anyone else, especially one of her own men. Control was her, and nobody else was allowed to have it.

Now, as she set her purse down on the bar and sat on one of the cushy bar stools, Billie smiled. There wasn't much Van could do or say to get to her. It was just his way of trying to prove he wasn't some robot she'd created. He was his own man, she gave him that, but while he was working for her, he was her man and had to play by her rules. When he broke them was when she got angry, or when he brought up any of the mistakes she'd made, like Gavin West. Whenever Van brought him into a conversation or argument, it was another painful reminder of her past that she just wanted to forget.

Billie's smile turned into a frown as the bartender took her drink order. "A Manhattan, pleased," she said, making herself comfortable.

"A Manhattan?" Van asked from behind her. Billie swiveled around and glared at him. " Manhattan's are so girlie." He slid up to the bar and took a seat beside her just as the bartender came back with her drink. Billie picked up the glass and downed it without a problem, slamming it back down on the bar as the bartender stood there, him and Van looking on in amazement. "Damn… and I thought you weren't much of a drinker."

"You continue to underestimate me, Van," Billie retorted as he ordered a Scotch on the rocks. When the bartender returned with his drink, she gabbed it from him and downed it as well, all the while Van sat there, completely dumbstruck by the woman that kept defying logic in his mind.

"Point taken," Van replied. He was getting ready to stand up when the bartender came by with yet another drink. But before Billie even had a chance to snatch it, Van had already grabbed the glass. "Uh-uh, you've had enough already," he said, and made a quick exit before she could respond.

"You don't know that!" she shouted behind him, but the music drowned out her voice as he disappeared amongst the crowd on the dance floor. Billie ordered her third drink in less then fifteen minutes, except with this one she took her time. "He doesn't know my limit," she mumbled to herself as she took a sip of her second Manhattan. Her eyes scanned the dance floor looking for her partner. 'Ha! My partner!' her mind scoffed. 'That no good, stupid little prick…' Billie took another gulp of her drink, her senses having dulled significantly after the first two shots. Her body was a little more relaxed now that it had been earlier. Van always brought the stress out in her.

Hopefully now she'd be able to handle herself, and him, a little better, but as her eyes fell upon the crown and noticed Van getting pretty chummy with some blonde wearing a short, low cut red dress, Billie became furious. She grabbed her purse, told the bartender to put the drinks on her tab, and made her way through the throng of people until Van was just a mater away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Billie's slurred, angry voice carried over the throbbing music and startled Van, making him turn towards her instantly. The blonde he'd been dancing with slowly peered over his shoulder to gaze at her, at which point Billie shot her a nasty look. The woman backed away and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Van and Billie to yell at each other in peace.

Van, noticing the woman was gone, quickly shouted back, "What did you think you were doing with all that alcohol? If you think you're going to yell at me for dancing with someone while we wait for Abney, you've got another thing coming!"

"Oh, really, Van?" Billie sarcastically remarked. "What other thing? I'm your boss, remember! I make the rules! I do whatever the hell I want and you do what you're told! You have absolutely no say in the decisions I make."

"So getting drunk before meeting a mark is okay, but only for you?"

Van was ready to jump on her at that moment, but she quickly cut him off by saying, "And sleeping with one is?" His eyes narrowed at her, knowing exactly who she was talking about. She'd just hit his sweet spot. Billie leaned in and hissed, "That's for bringing up Gavin West." Her nails dug into his arm as she added, "Never bring that name up again." She let go with a violent shove, but he grabbed her arm again before she could turn and walk to the bar.

"Stop drinking," Van's voice made it obvious he was being serious. "You need a clear head when we talk to Abney. I'm not about to let this case go down the drain by allowing you get drunk." He pulled her flush against his body and began to dance with her. "Is drinking a problem for you? Because if it is, I seriously suggest going to AA. They have a great twelve step program."

"Fuck you," Billie retorted, finally surrendering as their bodies moved with the crowd on the dance floor while the song changed.

_La  
__La la la la la la  
__La la la la la la  
__La  
__La la la la la la  
__La la la la la la _

_The night I laid my eyes on you  
__Felt everything around me move  
__Got nervous when you looked my way  
__But you knew all the words to say  
__And your love slowly moved right in  
__All this time, oh my love, where you been _

Billie couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as she listened to the song. It had always been one of her favorites. A long time had passed since she last heard it. Unconsciously, her body swayed with the music as it pulsed through her all the way down to her soul. She didn't realize how close she'd gotten to Van until their cheeks touched. It sent a jolt down Billie's spine, one that she couldn't figure out.

_Mi amore don't you know  
__My love I want you so  
__Sugar  
__You make my soul complete  
__Rapture tastes so sweet _

"You're actually a pretty good dancer," Van commented, his right hand falling against the small of her back and pulling her against his chest.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Billie replied with a sly smile as her arm wrapped around his neck. She continued to sway with the music, not caring about what was going on between her and Van. At the moment, he was just another man on the dance floor.

_Mesmerized in every way  
__You keep me in a state of daze  
__Your kisses make my skin feel weak  
__Always melting in your heat  
__Then I soar like a bird in the wind  
__Oh I glide like I'm flying through heaven _

"You're not that bad yourself," she added.

"Why, thank you," Van sincerely replied, daring to get a little closer. They were now a breath apart, their bodies almost melding into each other. It was strange how a song could bring two people so close together.

_Mi amore don't you know  
__My love I want you so  
__Sugar  
__You make my soul complete  
__Rapture tastes so sweet _

_Mi amore don't you know  
__My love I want you so  
__Sugar  
__You make my soul complete  
__Rapture tastes so sweet _

Billie could feel the heat of her body mixing with his in an intoxicating embrace. It was the first time she really noticed the way Van moved. He was like a panther, slow, graceful, careful. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment as it passed slowing into oblivion. Her mind began to wander onto things she never could have dreamed; his lips touching her flesh, slowly kissing her neck. Appalled, Billie quickly shoved the image out of her mind and opened her eyes again.

_La  
__La la la la la la  
__La la la la la la  
__La  
__La la la la la la  
__La la la la la la _

_Mi amore don't you know  
__My love I want you so  
__Sugar  
__You make my soul complete  
__Rapture tastes so sweet _

Van noticed Billie's closed eyes and absent mind as he gazed down at her, his body leading them through the crowd. They appeared to be like all the couples around them; infatuated with each other and lost in the sounds and brightly colored lights of the dance floor. He couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. His own mind raced with possibilities, but never really got too in depth. The song was almost over, and he only had a few more moments left before Billie reverted back into bitch mode.

_Mi amore don't you know  
__My love I want you so  
__Sugar  
__You make my soul complete  
__Rapture tastes so sweet _

_La  
__La la la la la la  
__La la la la la la  
__La  
__La la la la la la  
__La la la la la la  
__(La la la la la la)  
__(La la la la la la) _

What Van failed to notice was the group of men that had just arrived at the club wearing expensive, well tailored suits and carrying some very heavy firepower beneath their jackets. They stopped to stare at the couple dancing on the floor, oblivious to their entrance. When the song faded out and the lyrics of another began to blast over the speakers, the leader of the group, a tall man with piercing blue eyes, a sharp nose, an even sharper chin, and sporting the best Armani suit money could buy, simply stated, "Bravo!"

Van and Billie immediately stopped and turned around to face the unexpected guests. The look in Billie's eyes as she glanced at Van was one of anger, but when she turned her head to the other man, she was all smiles, extending her hand as she said, "Mr. Abney, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Billie, and this is my associate, Van."

"The pleasure is mine," Abney replied in his thick and sophisticated French accent. Unlike Rousseau, the accent fit his lean, well manicured body and handsome face. He was a stunning specimen of the male species, with his dark, almost jet black hair cut just long enough so she could filter her fingers through it, and his impeccable taste in clothing. Now Billie could see how Van managed to fall in love with many of the female marks he was sent to take down. But unlike Van, Billie knew where to draw the line and how not to fall in love. She was the ice queen, after all, a name that perfectly suited her. She didn't mind the name at all, taking it as a compliment. It allowed her to keep from getting hurt.

"Everyone who I asked about you told me you had the goods and the best price, but they failed to tell me how beautiful you were," Abney added, making Billie blush as he continued to hold her hand.

While Billie and Abney stared at each other, Van took the time to glance around Abney's crew and see what they could possibly be dealing with. That was until his eyes fell upon Rousseau. He needed to do a double take to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but those sharp facial features, badly trimmed facial hair, and cheap looking suit were unmistakable. Their eyes met for a quick second and Rousseau smiled at him. 'Shit,' Van thought, 'We're in trouble.'

"Uh, Billie, sidebar?" he asked, tapping her shoulder and pulling her out of the trance Abney put her in.

Billie immediately made her anger at him clear as she shot him a dirty look for taking her away from a potentially important moment between her and their mark. "What, Van?" she seethed once they were out of earshot.

"We're in deep shit," he urgently replied.

"Of course we are. You just pulled me away for a sidebar. That isn't gonna look good to them!" Billie nearly shouted at him as she tried to make her way back to Abney and his men, but Van held her back, his hand clamping down on her shoulder as she started to walk away from him. Again, he got that death look from her.

"Well, that's not gonna matter much because I've just been made!" Van shot back. He was getting frustrated now. How could Billie not understand the gravity of the situation?

"Van, are you fucking delusional? What the hell are you talking about?" Billie retorted, getting angrier by the second. She couldn't believe he was acting this stupid. But then in a moment of clarity, she realized what he was talking about. Glancing back at the group, she saw that Rousseau was there, standing behind Abney and whispering in his ear. "Oh, hell," Billie said under her breath. She knew she had forgotten something.

"That guy in the cheap polyester suit… Well, I busted him a couple years back for drug possession," Van vainly tried to make his case to his boss. "We need to pull out now. He's probably telling Abney everything about us at this very second."

"Van, I know," was all Billie said. He looked at her in confusion. "Rousseau is my snitch."

Van continued to look on in disbelief. He didn't know if he'd heard her correctly. "Did you just say Xavier Rousseau was your snitch?" he repeated her words, still trying to wrap his head around them. "Great… Just fucking great. Was this the big secret you were keeping from me?"

"I don't have time for one of your hissy fits right now, Van, so if there's anything else you wanna say, I'm not listening," Billie turned around and walked back towards Abney, a smile present on her face.

It stunned Van to see how quickly her mood could change. It was like night and day with her. 'She must be bi-polar,' he thought to himself as he walked behind her, feeling defeated.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Abney," Billie quickly apologized as she stepped up to him.

"Please, call me Drayden," he replied, a smile tugging at his luscious lips.

"I'm sorry, Drayden," she repeated. Billie needed a reason for that sidebar, and as she glanced around the crowd of people, she noticed that there was a uniformed officer standing at one of the back exits of the club. "My associate feels that this isn't the best place for business. Why don't we head upstairs where it's less crowded and quieter?" she suggested, taking Abney by the arm and leading him towards the VIP section of the club.

Van and the others followed behind. He had become instantly suspicious of Rousseau's motives for helping them, knowing all too well the wolf that was hiding in sheep's clothing. Rousseau wasn't the type of person just to follow along. Billie had to have him between a rock and a hard place if he was being cooperative with the LAPD. But that didn't mean he trusted the bastard.

Once upstairs, Van, Billie, and Abney sat down in their private VIP suite as the other four men stood behind them, military style with their feet slightly apart and their eyes averted from those doing business. Billie and Van took seats beside each with Drayden opposite.

"Your operation checks out, Drayden," Billie opened up the floor. "I know you'll be good for business. What are you looking for?" She was surprisingly sober now, Van noticed. She really did have a high tolerance for alcohol.

"I would first like to see what you have to offer," Abney answered.

Billie nudged Van's shoulder and he quietly stood up, moving behind the chair to retrieve a large aluminum case that held one of the guns from the Super G bust a few months back. He placed it on the table between the two parties and opened for Abney. A look of satisfaction came across the man's face as he looked over at Billie again.

"I need high powered rifles, armor piercing bullets, and possibly a few shoulder mounted rocket launchers," Abney answered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper with several numbers, including the quantity of each weapon, a dollar amount and an address. "That is my offer," he said, handing it to Billie. She read everything slowly, making sure she filed away all the information in her mind before handing the slip to Van. But when she got down to the address, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

" Aspen," she replied, looking up at Abney with inquisitive eyes. "That's a little far, isn't it?"

"I like Aspen. I have a house there, and I like doing most of my business there as well," he said. "It reminds me of my home in the French Alps."

"There's no place like home," Billie countered. She knew almost immediately that this was going to be no easy case, especially if they had to go to Aspen and finish it. There was so much she needed to do, and so little time to do it in. The address needed to be checked out, the authorities in Aspen needed to be called and informed about what was going on, the weapons needed to be accounted for and marked with radioactive dye, and cameras needed to be installed so Deaq could be their extra set of eyes in case something went wrong.

"Do you accept my offer?" Abney asked, becoming somewhat impatient.

Billie handed the paper over to Van so he could take a look at it as well. The worry about the case was present in his eyes as well. He didn't want to head all the way to Aspen, where the potential for problems increased ten fold, but what could they do? Their only option was to follow this guy wherever he led them and not bitch about it. "Sounds good," Van finally replied as he looked up at the man in front of him.

"Good. I will see you in Aspen on Friday." Abney smiled and stood up, extending his hand to his new business partners. "It was a pleasure doing business with you," he told them, first shaking Van's hand then reaching over for Billie's. He placed a soft kiss on top and started to head towards the door.

"You too," Billie called after him, a little dazed.

As Abney made his way out of the club with his men, he turned to Rousseau and said, "It is unfortunate the brunette is a cop. She's quite stunning, you know. I guess I'll just have to kill her last."

"You can have her all to yourself. I want the other one," Rousseau replied, wringing out his hands in utter delight. Now, after two years, he'd finally get his revenge for that fateful night. He'd make Van pay for everything he'd done to him.

After Abney and his crew were out of earshot, Van turned to Billie and nearly yelled, "How many times have I told you I don't trust snitches! Remember what happened the last time you decided to use a snitch? YOU ALMOST GO KILLED! What the hell were you thinking when you brought Xavier Rousseau into this!"

"I was thinking it would be good for the case!" she shouted back, wondering why she was defending her reasoning to Van yet again. "Besides, if the bastard thinks he can pull a fast one on us, he's got another thing coming."

"But that's just it! He doesn't give a shit! He'll screw over his own mother just to get out of trouble!" Van tried to reason with her, even though he knew it wouldn't work. Billie was one hell of a stubborn woman, and the only way to make her see his point was after the fact. He could only hope that this would be one of those times where she'd listen to him.

No such luck… "Don't you think I already knew that?" Billie snapped. "I've done my research on Rousseau, Van, and where I have him right now, there is no way he'd ever think of screwing us over."

"Well, when he does, I'd hate to say I told you so," Van retorted as he walked out of the room and made his way back to the bar. He now needed a stiff drink if he was going to deal with Billie again. She knew exactly how to piss him off in the worst of ways. This had to have been the absolute worst. There was no doubt in his mind they were in deep shit already. He could feel it in his gut. This case was on its way down, and all he could do was hope for the best.

* * *

I'm sooooo sorry for psyching you guys out yesterday! I thought I'd posted the right version of the next chapter, and when I started to read it over, I realized it was the wrong one, so I had to delete it before I really screwed you all up. Soooo sooooo sorry! But I hope this makes up for it. Anyway... 

prplerayne: I'm so glad you love to see Van in pain, especially at the hands of Billie. That's just too funny to me too. I know you feed off me, which is why I'm giving you this offering. Don't want you to become a blood sucking vampire or something, hehehe. Thanks for reviewing!

Avillie: All in due time, my dear, all in due time. Sorry if I'm keeping the suspense going. I know it's tough, but you'll see what happens soon enough. Thanks for the review and keep writing that story!

fan4fastln: Aww, thank you! I'm so glad I wrote this story too! And guess what? There's another one in the works! Cept this is the holiday fic I have planned for around Christmas/New Year's. As soon as I finish this story, I'm gonna start working on that one. Sorry to keep Van in the woods again. He can fend for himself just a little while longer. I'll get back to him soon, tho. Don't you worry about that.

simbagirl: I was wondering where you got off to! There you are! So glad to see you posted a review. Hope everything is going well with you. Is everything okay? I've seen some of the comments you've been posting on your story and I'm actually a little concerned. I know how tough life can get. I've been through so much this year myself with two of my friends. If you need to talk, just email me. I'm glad to listen.

nina: Hello again! I don't mind the english one bit! You've actually got it down better than some of my cousins do. Go ahead and write more! I can understand it! I actually helped teach a couple of people how to speak and write better english while I was out of the country this summer. But thank you for your review! I really appreciate it.

And of course, this is a shout out for all of you who are reading but not reviewing. I just want to let you know that I am greatful that you're reading and that please drop me a line sometime. It can be a private message if you like. Just shoot me an email or whatever. Thanks again! More story soon!


	6. Aspen Now…

_Aspen__ Right Now… _

Pushing himself off the tree was a painful task, but Van bit it back and stood up, reaching for his own gun in the process. He plodded in the direction she had gone, using the footprints she left in the show as his guide. Just as he reached a fallen tree branch a few meters from where he had been sitting, Van heard the sound of shots being fired.

The panic Van had been feeling earlier turned into full blown terror as he rushed into the forest to find his partner. 'Oh, God, what if she's been shot? What if she's bleeding? What if they've captured her? What if she's…?' Van didn't want to finish his last thought. He knew he couldn't think that way, not until he had proof. Searching was the only way to find out who was shot and who wasn't.

Van kept searching the forest even as the last bits of light faded into the horizon. He wouldn't let the overwhelming panic overtake him as he tried to find signs of Billie somewhere, anywhere. His head moved in every direction, and he would stop every now and then to listen for footsteps or gunfire.

"Billie!" Van yelled, becoming desperate. Maybe she'd hear him and call back.

"Van!" he could hear his name being screamed from a ways away. "Van!" It was Billie, and she sounded scared.

He started running towards her voice, hoping that they'd find each other soon. "Billie!" he yelled again. "Where are you?"

"I'm over here!" she answered, her voice sounding a little closer now, the fear having lessened significantly. Moments later, as Van was running back to where they had stopped, a body slammed into his. He fell back into the snow, the wind having been knocked out of him by the other person.

"Van! Oh thank God!" It was Billie. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up, not bothering to wait as he regained some of his balance as she dragged him through the snow. "Come on, we gotta go!"

"What happened? Who were you shooting at?" Van questioned as he followed her. "More importantly, who was shooting at you?"

"One of Drayden's men. They're still trying to find us. We need to move, now!" Billie ordered, tugging Van along as if he were a rag doll. With every little pull, the pain in his shoulder increased, something she was probably unaware of as she continued to lead them through the dark forest. Van knew not to complain, though. He wanted to remain a pillar of strength even though there were several points during this case where he was anything but. Biting down on his already swollen lip, he marched on, following Billie wherever she took him.

The only light guiding them that night was the light of a half moon. It cast an eerie glow on the trees, and added to the sounds of the waking nocturnal life, it gave the forest an almost frightening aura. The temperature had also fallen to well below freezing. Van could feel himself begin to shake. His shaking hands were the first sign that he was getting hypothermic. He could only pray that they'd find somewhere to stick it out that night without being caught, or even worse, being eaten by wolves or bears.

As the two partners walked into a clearing, the sound of rushing water permeated the night air. "Look!" Billie exclaimed as she pointed to a small bridge comprised of rope and wooden planks.

"You've got to be kidding me," Van skeptically replied. "There is no way in hell I'm crossing that thing! What if I fall through one of the planks and get swept away? I've already had enough brushes with death tonight to fill a lifetime."

Billie gave him a hard stare, her deep blue eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "Fine, you wanna get caught and die at the hands of Drayden Abney, I'm not stopping you," she shot back, letting go of his coat and making her way to the rickety old bridge.

Van stood there for a little while, contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to go over that bridge. He got a little closer and saw there was at least a ten meter drop to the river below. Shuddering at the thought of being swept away by its swift current, he stayed put for a few more moments. There was an up side to this, though, and that was the fact that maybe civilization was just around the corner. Someone had to have built this bridge for a purpose.

Billie was already halfway across the bridge by the time Van had made his decision. With one foot, he tested the strength of the first plank and found that it was sturdy enough to carry his weight. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad, he thought as he tested the next plank to make sure it could handle him as well.

"Move your ass, Van!" Billie was getting impatient as she stood on the other side of the river, relieved that nothing bad had happened, yet. Van still had to make it across, but at the pace he was going, she thought they'd be here all night. "Quit being a baby! Get across the damn bridge already!" She hoped that her "encouraging" yells would get him to move a little faster. But that wouldn't be the case.

In the distance, the sound of voices and dogs began to creep out of the woods. Both Van and Billie turned towards the noise and could see the flashlights of their enemy flickering in the distance. Van turned towards his partner, his grey green eyes fearful. Without a second thought he began to run across the bridge.

"Come on, Van! We gotta move!" Billie said as she pulled her switchblade out again. Her idea: cut the ropes so their enemies couldn't cross.

Van was at the very center of the bridge when the first dog, an angry German Shepard, ran through the trees towards him. He could hear the barking and turned to see the dog already hopping onto the bridge. It began to sway wildly. Van grabbed on to the ropes and tried to brace himself, but his trembling hands couldn't do much. The dog was getting closer. He needed to do something before it lunged at him. The first thought that popped into his mind was to grab his gun, but Billie had already gotten to hers. A shot rang out and the dog yelped, slumping off the bridge and tumbling into the river below.

"Move, Van!" Billie sharply yelled, her voice a higher pitch than usual.

Van turned around and made a run towards the other side of the bridge, but it continued to sway, knocking him off balance. He tried to steady himself by grabbing hold of one of the ropes, and just as before, was unable to, except this time, the consequences multiplied. His hands weren't the only things having problems with grabbing a hold of things, his feet were thrown off as well, and before he knew it, Van was hurtling down towards the river. He had managed to slip through the ropes somehow, his luck having run out ages ago.

"VAN!" Billie shrieked as she watched his body hit the water. His head went under for a moment or two, but it bobbed back up. This day just kept getting better and better, she thought, quickly slicing through the first rope of the bridge. If she could get Drayden's goons off their tail, maybe there was a chance they'd get through this alive.

Cutting the rest of the ropes to the bridge was her last shot to save her partner, and just as she cut the final rope, two men emerged from the woods holding flashlights and shotguns. Billie made a mad dash for the underbrush, disappearing in the thick, dark foliage before either one could fire off a round. The only thought going through her mind at the moment was of Van and where he could possibly be. She could only hope that he had found his way to an embankment, but knew there was a far worse fate for him if he hadn't.

* * *

You guys hate me right now, don't you? I let you find out what happens to Van in the woods, only to have him fall into the river soon after. I'm a cruel, cruel person. But cliffhangers can be so damn much fun sometimes! I'm sorry! I can't help myself! Anyway...

prplerayne: Billie can be bipolar sometimes, can't she? As for AA, well, let's just say, this won't be the first time Van will suggest it. You'll see what I mean soon enough. As for you and your story, you BETTER get your ass back soon cuz I'm DYING to know what happens next between Van and Billie. Write write write, chica, WRITE!

Avillie: Yes! Van and Billie finally get together! That was definitely one of my favorite scenes to write. It was too much fun! Oh, Billie will get an "I told you so" from Van by the end of this story. I just haven't figured out when. But you seriously hit the nail on the head about things getting much worse. As you can see, they already have. But don't think for one second I won't pull something worse out of my hat. There's still a lot of story left that needs to be written, and a lot of pain to be inflicted. As for Rousseau and Abney... I'll be getting to them soon, very very soon. Maybe next update soon.I dunno, we'll see. Still trying to find the direction I'm taking this story in the next chapter, but don't worry, it will be interesting.

agenttmk: Welcome! Hehe, so glad you reviewed! I'm glad you like the story so far. And I'm glad I haven't confused you either, cause I've been doing that to myself lately. LoL! This story is definitely a joy to write when people are reading and liking what I've been writing. Thank you so much for your review!

fan4fastln: Back to Van in the woods! Backstory is definitely important because there is so much I haven't told y'all yet about Abney, Rousseau, and Billie. Yes, I said Billie. I'm getting her backstory finished as well about why she's so cold and shows very little emotion. There's a lot we've been left to wonder about Billie, so I thought I'd create my own little story about her. Maybe one day I'll write a story based just on her. I dunno yet. I have to get the rest of the fics in my head on paper first. Thanks for reviewing. I hope you don't hate me for leaving you hanging again. Again, I to tell a little more back story before I reveal Van's fate.

FoxyWombat: I love your name! It's just so interesting. Are you from Australia? Cuz if so, that is totally friggin cool! LoL! I looked at your profile after you said that little bit about The OC reference... I LOVE that show! Definitely one of my faves! I guess you could say that was an OC reference I made, even tho I wasn't even thinking about it. Anyway, I've always wondered what would happen if Van and Billie ended up doing a case together, especially after Asslane. Hell, I wanted to know what would happen if Deaq hadn't walked in on them! That would have been sooo interesting! But, ya know, I guess we'll just have to wonder, huh? That's why I wrote this fic. Well, that and I had a really good idea I wanted to explore. I have yet to reveal my motives, hehe. You'll see in time. I'm so glad you like my fic and are reviewing. Thank you!

simbagirl: I'm soooooo glad you contaced me via email. I'm really sorry to hear about all that's going on in your life. It totally sux. But keep your chin up, things will get better. As I said in my letter, everything happens for a reason. And if you can't get any inspiration for your fic, it's okay. I get it from the weirdest places all the time. Believe me, if a term in chemistry class catches my attention and leads me to start daydreaming about my fic, something like that will probably happen to you. My prayers are with you, your friend, and your family. I hope everything works out soon for you.

And, of course, this is for all of you who have been reading and reviewing. Thank you! I hope you're enjoying this story, and I hope to hear from you sometime. But, really, I'm just glad to see people are reading. Thank you so much!

More story coming soon!


	7. The Candy Store Six Days Earlier…

_The Candy Store Six Days Earlier… _

"So, how was the meeting with Drayden last night?" Deaq asked when he heard the door open behind him and a set of heels click against the concrete floor of the cavernous warehouse. He'd come early that morning, Aquarius having dropped him off since neither Billie nor Van would pick up their phones. He knew the night hadn't gone well if they weren't answering calls. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. Van and Billie were like oil and water; you couldn't mix the two together for anything.

"Fine," Billie grunted as she walked right past the couch he was sitting on. That definitely meant something had gone horribly wrong.

"Where's Van?" Deaq continued his interrogation of his boss.

"Who cares?" she shot back, taking a seat in her chair. Billie booted up her computer in hopes of getting some of the more important work done today, like contacting the authorities in Aspen and getting all the surveillance equipment ready for their trip out there. The guns had already been marked with the radioactive dye. All that needed to be done now was get them on a truck and have someone haul them out to Aspen. But with Deaq breathing down her neck about what happened last night, she doubted she'd get any work done.

"I care," he replied, grabbing his crutches and struggling to get up. He hobbled towards her desk and sat down in one of the chairs in front of it. "Come on, Billie. What happened last night? How did Van managed to piss you off?"

"In every way possible," Billie muttered as she logged on to the secure LAPD server. It only took her moments to access the databases she'd need in order to get her work done. "Why the hell do you want to know so badly? Go do something!" she ordered, unable to take anymore of his questions.

Deaq sighed. "Did Drayden take the bait, at least?" That was the only real question he wanted answered right now. He'd get everything else out of Van later that morning. He was, after all, the loud mouth who couldn't really keep to himself, especially when it came to the people he was closest to.

"Yes," Billie finally gave him a straight answer. "Now leave me alone." And with that, their conversation was over. Deaq hobbled back to the couch, satisfied. Just as he was sitting down, the door slammed open again, with Van entering in that dramatic way which almost always meant he needed to have a few (loud) words with Billie.

"I still don't think bringing Xavier Rousseau into this was a good idea," he began saying. Deaq's interest immediately piqued. That name sounded familiar. "And going all the way to Aspen… That's just inviting trouble."

"What? Aspen? What the hell is going on in Aspen?" Deaq quickly butted in. What the hell were they talking about? This was definitely news to him.

But the conversation went on as if Deaq didn't exist. Billie stood up and made her way to the showroom floor where Van was standing, waiting for her, just begging for a confrontation. Deaq sat there, wondering if she'd hit him again, because now was the perfect time.

"Guess what, Van, I don't care! You follow _my_ orders!" Billie yelled back. "And when I think bringing someone in from the outside is a good idea, I will do it, regardless of what you think!"

"Then obviously you don't know Rousseau!" Van shot back. "Did you not see his file? Did you not read about the case he was involved in several years ago where a cop was killed because he tried to put Rousseau in a corner, and Rousseau managed to maneuver his way out of it using his boss as a cover?"

'Here we go,' Deaq thought as he braced himself for the blow Van was practically asking for. Now he knew where he'd heard that name. It had been all over the news a few years earlier. Rousseau had been called in for questioning, but with a solid alibi and no evidence against him, he'd been set free.

"That's not what happened, Van! You are completely misreading the facts! That cop got killed because he didn't bring backup with him! Not because Rousseau managed to weasel his way out of it! We have backup! Deaq will be here monitoring everything!" Billie tried to reason with him.

"But here is a thousand miles away from Aspen! What if something goes wrong? What if something happens to us? What if we get into trouble? Deaq won't be there to save us!"

'Damn,' Deaq thought. 'So that's what's going down!' Out loud, he said, "He's got a point, Billie."

"You stay out of this!" she snapped at him. Billie turned back to Van and added, "You're going to follow my lead, or I will have both of you demoted to writing parking tickets!"

Van and Deaq both shut up, knowing all too well she'd actually do it. Billie walked back to her desk, her blue eyes glowing in anger. This was the last thing she'd been expecting to deal with today, but now that it was finally said and done, she could start on working out all the details with the proper authorities. But there was something nipping at her insides, something that told her maybe they were right. She decided to ignore it, having had enough of people telling her what to do. Nothing was going to happen to her and Van out there; she'd make sure of that.

* * *

A real quick thanks to everyone cuz I'm exceptionally busy today, but I just wanted to update becauseI know you all just have to find out what happened to Van in the river. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten that far in writing it yet, so this is all I have as an offering. Next update, tho, you will find out what happens to Van. I PROMISE!

prplerayne: Yes, I left him in the river! Don't be mad! I didn't mean to, I swear! And no, Billie doesn't get trashed on tree sap... But that suggestion nearly made me fall off my seat laughing! HAHAHA! I'm still laughing at it! OMG! It's just too funny! And so damn unheard of! I gotta keep that in mind for another story. It would be some seriously interesting stuff.

simbagirl: Yes, I've just gotten the "cruel" stamp... Really sorry to leave you high and dry yet again. It's mean, I know, but sometimes I just can't help myself. I get sidedtracked by trying to make the story somewhat coherent. Hope I've achieved that already. Cuz it would suck if I confused people. But I'm glad you finally updated! Good to hear everything is going well with you. Hope to see more story soon!

fan4fastln: You seriously hit the nail on the head with that last question in your review... OMG! Do I have some interesting stuff in store for you and everyone else in the next update. But for now, I hope you liked this update, short as it may be. I hope I'm forgiven, even if it is just a little. But I promise you, you'll get the answers to your questions in the next chapter. I can't wait to update. Now, if only my muses would cooperate. They don't like me right now because they refuse to let me concentrate on my story and my homework. It's all about inspiration, of which I'm lacking... It sux ass.:( Hopefully after this update, I will get hit with some. Cross your fingers!

Avillie: Hehe, yes, Christmas has come early! Much more pain is in store for both Van and Billie, but I'm not about to give up what happens. Just know it'll be interesting and maybe even sweet. BTW, I woulda jumped into the river as well, and probably several of the others here. You're not the only hasty one. :) And where is the next update of your story? You're keeping me in suspense here! I'm going nuts! I want more soon! But I guess I'll just have to wait. I've made you wait, so it's only fair. But just so you know, I don't like the "p" word. (Patience, I don't have any.) Update, soon, PLEASE!

And, of course, all you who haven't reviewed yet. You guys are awesome too! Thanks for just giving me hits. I know you're reading, or even making it look like you're reading. I don't really care. I'm just grateful. Thank you so much!

More story coming soon... Unless the muses don't wanna cooperate, which has been a problem lately. I think I'm gonna have to tempt them with some chocolate. Let's hope that works. And please, REVIEW! I'm a review whore! I love to know what you're thinking, even if it is negative. Anything to help improve this story.


	8. Aspen Right Now Evening…

_Aspen__ Right Now… _

Using the moonlight as her guide, Billie followed the twists and turns of the river hoping she'd spot Van soon. The minutes ticked away as the moon inched higher in the sky. The unbridled fear coursing through her veins became thicker with each passing second. Billie prayed with every fiber in her body that Van had somehow made it to the shore and that all she had to do was help him up and they'd be on their way again. Lady luck had other plans.

Billie had just reached calmer waters when she spotted the body of her partner floating face down a meter from shore. She wanted to scream, but her lips remained sealed as she ran to him. Without a second thought, Billie hit the cold water, soaking her boots and the legs of her jeans as she frantically pulled Van's body to the shore. Once on dry land, she rolled him over and got down on her knees to check and see if he was breathing.

"No, Van, NO!" Billie cried, the tears streaking down her face when she realized he wasn't. Her panic had just reached epic proportions. "You can't die on me!" She began to push against his chest, hoping it would help him cough up some water. When it didn't work, she knew she'd have to resort to CPR. Forcing several deep breaths down his throat, Billie thought she was getting nowhere. It had been a while since she last saw him, and this was becoming an even direr situation as time ticked on.

"Breathe, DAMN IT!" she yelled at him. Billie wasn't giving up. She'd make him breathe one way or another. After forcing a few more breaths into his chest, Van began to cough. Involuntarily, he rolled to his side, coughing up the water that had filled his lungs. "That's it, keep breathing," Billie encouraged as she stroked his back, hoping it would help him get rid of all the water.

Van rolled onto his back again, blankly staring up at his savior. His body shook uncontrollably, but he was slowly beginning to regain consciousness. Billie quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as she leaned over him to give him a huge hug. She had never been more relieved. "B-B-B-Billie," Van stuttered, his teeth chattering just as badly as his body.

"I'm right here," she replied, placing her hand against his cold cheek. He was freezing. She needed to get him to someplace warm, and fast! "Come on," Billie softy said as she got to her feet. Her arms wrapped around his chest, helping him stand up. Van struggled to stay standing, but his legs were numb for the water, as was the rest of his body. "Use me for support." Billie wrapped her arm around his shoulders, bracing herself for his full weight. Once he had leaned against her, they began to slowly walk down the river, hoping to find some kind of shelter to hold them up for the night.

"B-B-Billie, I-I-I can't," his voice came out weak as he leaned against her. His numb, shaking legs could barely support his weight, and he almost fell to the ground if it wasn't for her tight hold of him.

"Yes, you can," she answered, the determination present in her calm voice. She looped her arm around his waist and helped him slowly make his way through the dense underbrush. They staggered for what seemed like hours in the woods until salvation came in the form of a house along the edge of the river, about a mile from where Billie had found Van.

"Look!" she proclaimed, pointing to the house. All the lights were dark, including the one on the porch. Either the people who lived there had forgotten to turn it on, or there was nobody living there at the moment. Billie wasn't about to take the chance. The first thing she did when they came up to the house was knock on the door and announce she was an officer of the law. Van stood beside her, his arms wrapped around her body, trying to get whatever warmth he could from her. He looked like a sick little boy holding onto his mother for dear life. "Stay with me, Van. We're almost in. Just a few more minutes," she said, glancing at him, the worry lines appearing on her face.

When no lights came on, Billie knew she had to pick the lock. She didn't care that she was trespassing on private property. That was the last thing on her mind. What she needed to do now was to get her and Van inside, and get him out of those clothes before he froze to death. Taking a pin out of her hair, she began to mess with the lock until it clicked open a few seconds later. A smile came across her lips as she pushed the door open and helped Van walk in.

The inside of the house was sparsely furnished; only a dusty old royal blue couch, a wooden coffee table, a royal blue easy chair, and a brown bear skin rug sat in the living room. There was also a fireplace and a stack of lumber on the hardwood floor sat beside it, something Billie knew would come in handy soon. She helped Van to the couch and laid him out then began to pile wood into the fireplace. Now all she needed was a match. A search of the mantle revealed an old, tattered matchbook with three matches inside. Billie carefully lit one and placed it on a log, but it quickly burned out. She needed to find something that she could burn slowly. Reaching into her pockets, she found an old piece of paper with something scribbled on it and quickly lit it with the next match then placed it on another log. Luck was beginning to shine on her when the first log lit up and the fire came to life.

One dilemma down, a few more to go, Billie thought as she turned to Van. His body lay so still on the couch that for a moment she thought he was dead. Her fingers immediately went for his neck to see if she could feel a pulse. He was still so cold. His grey green eyes opened and looked at her in agony. He was fighting for his life and all she could do was sit there and watch. But Billie was a woman of action, and she knew exactly what she needed to do now, even though it scared her somewhat. She needed to get Van out of those wet clothes.

Steeling herself for the task, Billie finally said, "I need to take your clothes off." Van merely gave her an empty stare before closing his eyes again and letting her do whatever she thought was necessary. The first item of clothing to go was his parka. She gently peeled it off his body, being careful not to hurt his right shoulder in the process. She'd have to redress the wet bandage as well, but that could wait. After having thrown it beside the fire, Billie started to pull up his sweater, again being careful with his shoulder. Van tried to help her as much as he could, but the numbing cold encasing his body had slowed his motor skills significantly. Pity and self loathing hit Billie like a rock as she gazed at his prone form, listless and half dead. Her eyes began to tear up and she turned away from him to wipe them with the sleeve of her coat. How could she have let this happen? The thought ran rampant in her mind as she reached for his belt to unfasten it, along with the zipper of his jeans. She pulled them down, leaving Van in only his wet boxers. The last thing she found was his gun, which she placed on the dusty coffee table in front of the couch.

"I'll be right back," Billie whispered as she got up and headed for another part of the house, hoping to find blankets and warm clothes. Using the wall as her guide in the near darkness, she made her way down the hall. When her hand hit a light switch on her way down, she tried to turn it on, but it seemed the electricity had been cut off. 'Damn,' she thought. It was another problem they'd have to deal with tomorrow. She focused all her energy on finding another room that might yield something warm to wrap Van in. Her search revealed a bedroom beside the living room, also sparsely decorated, with just a bed, a dresser, and a closet. In the closet, Billie managed to find a couple of thin blankets. They weren't the best for warming someone up, but they would have to do.

Van had curled up into a little ball on the couch, visibly shaking in the pale light of the fire. Billie threw the blankets over his shivering body and thought about what else she could do to get him to warm up faster. The fire wasn't as hot as she hoped it would be, but there really wasn't much she could do about that, and throwing more wood into it would only make it dangerous. Then she remembered something from survival class way back in high school. Her instructor told the class that if it ever came down to the worst case scenario, which this technically was, the best way to warm up a hypothermic person was skin to skin contact with another person.

As unappetizing as that sounded, Billie stripped down to her underwear, placing her switchblade and gun beside Van's. She slipped beneath the measly pile of blankets until she was flush against the cold, shivering body of her partner. Her body conformed to his, encasing him in a warm embrace as her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him tight. His head fell into the nape of her neck, allowing her to feel each soft, warm breath he took. It eased her mind to be able to feel his chest rise and fall against her own.

The apprehension of being so close to someone began to lessen as Billie got a little more comfortable. She didn't feel as strange as she thought she would. It actually felt kind of nice, something she could live with right now. Maybe she did have a soft spot for her partner after all, even though she'd only ever show it on rare occasions such as these.

With their crisis finally over, each could breathe their own sigh of relief now that they were together and out of danger. There were still some bumps they'd encounter down the road, but Billie decided to push them out of her mind and just live in the moment. She'd think about those obstacles tomorrow. Right now, her attention was on Van. He needed her, and worrying about things to come would only distract her. She focused on his slow, gentle breathing, and the way it seemed to gradually lull her to sleep. It was only a matter of time before she had dozed off, her arms tightly wrapped around him, and her cheek pressed up against his forehead.

* * *

And there you go! Don't really need to say much else, do I? Well, onto the individual review responses: 

tara: Hi there! I'm glad you got to read that last part of the story. Sorry about your computer. Anyway, thanks for reading! I'd also love to see more Van/Billie stories on this site too. I've always wondering what would have happened between them had the show continued to run. Oh, well, I guess we'll all just have to figure it out ourselves, or in some cases, try to keep that question alive. Here's my interpretation. Glad you like it!

agenttmk: I'm also enjoying the jumps between the past and the present. I just wish I was doing a better job with it. Not many people know this, but I'm not very happy with what I've been doing, so I might change it in a later revision, if I ever get around to it. We'll see, though. I just might leave it the way it is.

FoxyWombat: I, too, am a victim of a crazy life! OMG! I spent the entire weekend working on 2 projects, which turned out awesome, BTW. I didn't get to do ANYTING! And usually I'm out partying till the break of dawn on the weekends. Oh, well, sacrafices had to be made. I chose my social life. Anyway, Van's not in the river anymore! Hehe, he's in a much better place now. LoL! OMG... I gotta stop that. Hope you liked the update. I certainly loved writing it. Suspenseful enough? So, you have a fascination with wombats... Interesting.

fan4fastln: nods head and keeps writing Okay, so now that the foreshadowing is over... I think I pretty much answered every single question you put to me in your reviews. Wow, that's a first for me. I hope Billie's guilt really came out in this chapter. I mean, come on! She cried twice! Well, sorta. Maybe just shed a few tears works better. But you get my drift. And she ain't done yet! Oh, there's plenty more I have in store for her. She's not getting off the hook that easy!

prplerayne: You know me too well! The review whore thing was a gimmie! But, yeah, I was contemplating Billie swinging at Van again, but thought against it. Just hanging the "I'll send you back to writing parking tickets" thing over his head was enough, cuz we all know Van loves his job, maybe a little too much for his own good. But you're right, Billie really does need some anger management, doesn't she. Hmm... That's another story idea to add to my list! Billie's Anger Management. LoL! That would be hilarious!

simbagirl: She should have hit him, I know... But she didn't. And he was right. Now she's paying for it, big time! Oh, poor Van. Poor Billie! And the awful things I still have in store for both of them. Someone was right when they said Van's getting off easy with just a bullet wound. Not anymore!

Avillie... WHERE ARE YOU? (just had to ask...)

To all the anon. people: YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Thanks for reading! I hope this update makes you wanna continue.

Luv Y'all! MORE STORY SOON!


	9. Aspen Yesterday Morning…

_Aspen Yesterday Morning… _

With an early morning flight to Aspen, Billie knew she wasn't going to be in a good mood. There were very few things that scared her, and flying just happened to be one of them. She felt so helpless having to relinquish control to someone she didn't even know to get her somewhere she needed to be. It made her queasy, which was why she allowed Van and Deaq to leave for Morocco without her to help the authorities out there. But now she had no choice. Getting on the plane meant finishing the case. She wanted to finish the case and bust Abney and his whole crew for their ties to everything wrong with this world.

Van, on the other hand, was perky as usual, maybe even more so. It bugged the hell out of Billie to see him in such a good mood. She hated him for it. "Go take your Ritalin," she'd sharply told him as they stood on the tarmac of the private airport waiting for the jet that would take them to Aspen that morning.

"You don't like flying or something?" Van asked her. He had settled down a lot since their confrontation earlier that week. But that didn't mean he felt any better about going to Aspen to finish this case. If anything, there was more resistance to it, but it's not like he'd be able to do anything about it. That doomed feeling would just have to stay locked up inside.

"No," Billie snapped back, ending the conversation until after they had boarded the private jet and were already at cruising altitude. It was at that point when Van got beyond annoying with his incessant chatter about God knew what. Like Billie was actually paying attention. All she needed to set her off was his voice going non stop for nearly an hour and the fact that the plane wouldn't stop shaking. That's when she'd finally had it.

"Will you shut up already?" Billie yelled, slapping him in the arm and prompting Van to look at her, confused as hell.

"Jeez, you're really irritated today, aren't you? Forget to take your Sarefam?" Van tried to make the comment as playful as possible. He really didn't need Billie's anger this early in the morning, especially if they were getting ready to take down the biggest gun smuggler in the world. But, as usual, it didn't work. It only seemed to make things worse.

"I've had it with your smart ass comments!" she shouted, standing up and heading towards the back of the plane where the bathroom was located, but not before taking another swing at his arm for good measure.

"Owww!" Van wailed as her punch landed in its intended spot on his arm. He instantly curled up, nursing his probably bruised right shoulder. "You're a crazy bitch!" he yelled to her back. But Billie didn't stop. She ignored him. "Keep walking! It's not like I wanna talk to you either!"

Billie really felt queasy now and was thankful for the distraction to use the bathroom. If she had stayed any longer, there was no doubt in her mind she would have gotten sick. The fight and the turbulence had gotten the best of her. She took a look in the mirror and could see the paleness in her face. But just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, the plane hit another strong gust of wind, sending her already frayed nerves into a tailspin. It was enough to make her fall to the floor and surrender to the porcelain goddess.

After having hurled the contents of her stomach, which really wasn't much since she hadn't eaten breakfast, Billie sat back on the floor, holding her head in her hands and swaying with the plane. She'd never felt so sick in her life. What she wouldn't give for some Valium right now, and maybe even a stiff drink. But all that talk about drinking made her stomach protest yet again, and before she knew it, Billie had her arms wrapped around the toilet seat once more. "Uh, when will it ever end?" she cried, wishing the flight was over even though she knew there was at least another hour left.

Having sat alone for nearly fifteen minutes, Van decided it was time to find out what was taking Billie so long in the bathroom. He needed to go, and waiting for her was making him anxious. Standing up, Van slowly made his way towards the back of the plane. When he reached the closed bathroom door, he could hear that familiar sound of someone losing their breakfast in the toilet. Van wanted to laugh at first, thinking Billie got what she deserved for being such a bitch that morning, but soon regret set in. He'd also been an ass. Maybe it was time to apologize for getting on her nerves so much. For a second he thought, 'Nah!' but the sound of another bout with nausea came through the door and prompted him to change his mind. She was really getting sick in there.

"Billie?" Van called through the door as he tapped on it with his knuckle.

"Go away," she practically mumbled. Billie didn't sound well at all.

"I need to pee!" he earnestly replied, trying to see if that would get her to open the door.

"Just hold it!" Billie nearly growled back.

"Come on, Billie, open the door," Van was getting ready to beg. "Please, just open the door."

"You're such an impatient little baby!" she yelled. He could hear the toilet flush and the faucet turn on. After another minute or so, Billie finally emerged from the bathroom, her face pasty white and her hair a wet mess. "Are you happy now?"

"You look like hell," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and holding her still before she could walk away from him. Van gave her the once over and was glad to see she hadn't gotten sick on herself. "Come on, I think I have something that might help you." He led Billie back to the front of the plane where they'd been sitting and grabbed the overnight bag he'd placed on the seat behind him. From inside Van pulled out a small vile of pills. Billie looked at him strangely for a moment. "They're herbal pills," he started, "Lavender, ginger, and chamomile, calm the stomach and the nerves." He placed three pills in her hand and smiled at her. "By the way, I'm sorry for being such an ass. I didn't realize how much you hated flying."

Billie looked down at the small offering in her hand. The apology was unexpected, but nice. "Thank you," she said, sitting back down in her seat and taking a big gulp of her water to wash down the pills. Van made his way back to the bathroom as she began to feel the effects of the herbal drugs. Her body instantly relaxed and her stomach stopped threatening to flip again. She snuggled against the oversized brown leather seat, finally feeling at ease.

When Van came back, Billie was nearly asleep. The pills had done the trick. She was finally calm again. Van grabbed a blanket from one of the other seats and threw it over her. She opened her eyes momentarily, a little spooked by what he had done, but when she realized she wasn't in any danger, Billie relaxed. She brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. It was soon lights out before she knew it. Her head rolled back until it found a nice place to rest, Van's shoulder. He sighed, letting his own head drop so that they were supporting each other, and closed his eyes as well.

But the peace that settled over the cabin wouldn't last that long. In what felt like a matter of minutes, the captain announced their arrival at a small private air strip in Aspen, startling both of them awake. Billie shot out of her seat at the sound of the voice over the PA system, letting Van's head drop suddenly. He was quickly awoken as well and stared at a near frantic Billie. Grabbing her hands, his touch somehow seemed to calm her down. He guided her back into her seat and kept holding her hand until they were safely on the ground.

"That wasn't so bad, now, was it?" Van asked once the plane came to a full stop.

"Shut up," Billie retorted as she pulled her hands away from him and stood up. "This never happened, agreed?"

"Agreed," he readily answered. It was the end of their discussion for the next half hour as hey got off the plane and into the freezing cold winter climate of Aspen, Colorado. There was a sleek black Jaguar parked on the tarmac near the jet hanger waiting for them. They loaded their luggage in the trunk and took off, Billie driving. She felt much better than she had on the plane now that she was on solid ground.

With her wild driving through the snow covered mountain roads, Billie and Van reached their hotel in less than fifteen minutes. He hung on for dear life as she swerved past treacherous curves and blind corners. Little by little, he was learning things about her. Maybe in time, he'd know enough to figure out why she liked to push people away. She'd been doing that a lot lately, especially in the last couple of days. It was like she didn't want to get anywhere near him unless she wasn't feeling well, or was angry at him.

As they pulled up to the front door and waited for the valet, Van turned to Billie and said, "Thank you for not getting us killed."

She glared at him and with uber-sarcasm replied, "Oh that's right, Mother Superior, you've never sped. That one time when you and Deaq got busted for speeding and handcuffed the cops to a pole never really happened!" Rolling her eyes, she got out of the car as the valet opened her door.

"I should have expected that," Van mumbled to himself, following Billie into the hotel.

"Welcome to the St. Regis Aspen," the concierge greeted them as they walked into the beautiful lobby, all paneled in wood and antique furniture. The place was breathtaking, for lack of a better word.

The pair made their way to the marble faced front desk and were quickly checked into a junior suite with a single king sized bed. Van and Billie looked at each other for a moment, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. Who would get the bed and who would end up on the couch? That was a matter they'd have to "discuss" when they actually got to the room.

A bellhop was assigned to help them with their luggage and lead them to their room, which was on the second floor of the hotel. As they traveled down the corridor, both Van and Billie glancing at each other, waiting, anticipating the other's move. Billie knew she was going to get it. Psyching Van out was all a part of her plan. She just wondered what he'd do when he found out he got the couch. At least she knew what she'd say… "Stop being such a whiney little baby!" It seemed to work every time.

The bellhop finally stopped in front of room 237, slid the electronic key card through the scanner, and opened the door for them. Billie was the first to enter, taking in the beauty of the room. It was much better than she expected, with a burgundy and brown color theme radiating warmth throughout the room. The walls were a warm creamy brown, as where the drapes, while the bed and the chairs were several shades of deep red, some of the chairs even covered in a very beautiful plaid. She could get used to this, she thought, making her way to the bed. Billie hopped on top of it and closed her eyes, savoring the softness that enveloped her.

When she heard the door close, she said, "The bed is mine!"

"What?" Van sharply retorted as he walked up to the foot of the bed and stared at her. "Why do you get the bed?"

"Because I'm your boss," Billie snapped, sitting up. "What's your point?"

"I wasn't the one who was just puking their guts out on the plane," he threw back.

Billie was quiet for a moment before she replied, "Stop being such a whiney little baby!" And just as she had predicted, the line worked. A smile crept on her cherry red lips as he retreated into the living area, taking his bags with him. 'He's such a beaten dog! Oh, I love it!' Billie said to herself as she began to unpack her things.

Lunch with Abney was scheduled for noon, and soon after Billie was done packing, she began to look through what she had brought and decided on the perfect outfit. Her choice ended up being a black Donna Karen textured skirt that hugged the curves of her hips in all the right places, a four-buttoned raspberry colored long sleeved blouse with a wing collar, and a jacket that matched the skirt. She entered the bathroom soon after to do her makeup and hair. But after the plane ride, she also needed the shower.

Van had watched her meticulously pick out her outfit, the expression on her face that ranged from disgust to satisfaction being filed away for future reference. When Billie finally had everything together and entered the bathroom, he took a seat on an easy chair that was in front of the plasma screen TV in the middle of the room and turned it on to see what channels they got. There was a very wide variety of programming available. It took a while to go through all the channels, but he finally found one playing a football game and settled down to watch it. Before long, he was lightly snoring on the comfortable chair, the day and Billie's attitude having already worn him out.

And that was how she found him an hour later after she emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed and made up. Billie shook her head, angry that he had managed to fall asleep. Plodding over to him, she flicked his ear, waking him up with a start. "What the hell are you doing sleeping?" she nearly yelled. "We're supposed to be downstairs in fifteen minutes!"

"What!" Van shot out of his seat and ran into the bathroom. In his frantic rush, he hadn't even bothered to look over at the clock on the night stand to see that there was at least an hour left before lunch. Billie giggled. It was his own fault. Besides, the quicker he got ready, the better. That meant they could scope out the restaurant before Abney arrived and set up a few hidden cameras to record their conversation. She sat down on the chair he had occupied previously and also made a run through the channels, stopping on E!

Van emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later with a toothbrush in his mouth and a towel around his waist, and began rummaging through his suitcase to find his black Paul Smith suit. Billie turned her head when she heard the door open and got an eye-full. She stared him for a moment, watching his half naked body move gracefully like it had the night at the club. It didn't even register that she was ogling until he turned around and looked at her, a funny expression somewhere between amusement and confusion appearing on his face.

"What?" Van asked, having finally found his suit and the lavender dress shirt he planned to wear with it.

"Uh… Nothing," Billie replied as she quickly turned her attention back to the TV. She could feel her face turn bright red as he walked back into the bathroom to put his clothes on. 'Oh, God!' she thought. 'What the hell am I doing? This is Van! I'm not supposed to be looking at him like that!' Billie chided herself.

'Admit it, you think he's hot,' that little voice in the back of her mind said.

'Shut up!' Billie quickly silenced it. This was one thing she wasn't going to start thinking about. It was crazy! This was Van, her employee! She wasn't supposed to be thinking about him this way. He was supposed to the annoying little shit that bugged the hell out of her and did stupid things, not someone she wanted to lust after. 'Ick!' she thought, a shudder running down her spine. And with that, Billie quickly dropped the subject and put her focus on the TV screen, which was showing the latest winter fashions.

"Hey, what time is it?" Van yelled from the bathroom.

Billie looked over at the clock on the nightstand and replied, " 11:30."

"What?" nearly shouted as he stepped through the door and glared at her. Van was dressed in his form fitting suit, his hair done in that wild, messy way he usually had it. Just to make sure she was telling the truth, he strode over to where she was sitting and glanced at the clock. "Thanks," he sarcastically replied. "Don't _ever_ do that again."

"Yeah, whatever," Billie said as she stood up from the chair and smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt. "Come on, let's go downstairs and check out the restaurant. We need to put a few cameras there anyway." She grabbed her small Coach Signature Ski Pocket Hip bag and put it on her shoulder as Van looked on in confusion.

"I thought you were planning on placing a few cameras around the restaurant before Abney arrived," he said, still looking at the tiny bag and wondering how she managed to fit anything in it. "How is a small bag like that supposed to fit any equipment?"

Billie gave him a rye smiled as she took the purse off her shoulder and opened it to reveal the smallest camera he'd ever seen. She held it up on her hand, along with the finger sized transmitter and replied, "Anymore questions?"

The pair soon left the room and walked down the elegant staircase to the hotel's restaurant, Olives. A table had already been reserved from them near one of the picturesque windows that overlooked the snowy mountaintops of Aspen. Billie couldn't help but smile at the scenery. It had been so long since she'd last been out of the smog filled cityscape of LA and someplace where the air was fresh and clean; five years to be exact. Five haunting years… Her smile turned into a frown as Van pulled out a chair for her, being the ever so polite gentleman that she rarely got to see, unless he was undercover and trying to charm those he needed to get close to.

Billie's attention soon turned to the bag still on her shoulder. She pulled it off and set it down in front of her, discretely opening it to take out the tiny camera. In the middle of the table was a large arrangement of white lilies and light blue belladonnas set in a simple glass vase with a white bow wrapped around it. The arrangement was the prefect place to hide the camera, which Billie did by pretending to lean over and sniff the flowers.

"Lilies are so beautiful," she commented, her eyes seeming to glass over as her mind drifted to the last time she'd received flowers. Van quickly took stock of that look, realizing she was in the midst of a reverie. There was something she was hiding, something connected to those flowers that made her look back. But what was it? He'd have to figure it out later. Right now was not the time, especially since the waiter was already hovering near the table waiting to take their drink order.

"Welcome to Olives," the waiter politely greeted them. "Our suggested wines for this afternoon are Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1996, Château Margaux 1995, but if you are looking for something a little more exotic and expensive, may I suggest the Dom. Romanée Conti 1997 vintage, which smells of berries, spices and leather. Dark in color, it hints at flavors of soy sauce, flowers and licorice. The aroma is rich and penetrating without being too profound. Or the Petrus Pomerol 1998 vintage, which is extremely fruity, with suggestions of berries, vanilla, mocha, and oak emanating from its rich purple robe. The finish is something to wait for as it caresses the palate."

"Hmm…" Billie pondered. "The Petrus Pomerol sounds interesting. We'll have a bottle of that."

Van shot her a look. He knew it was a very expensive wine, somewhere in the range of $1,500 a bottle. But it wasn't the first time they'd had to shell out a load of money in order to impress a criminal of Abney's caliber. The Russian gun runners they'd captured soon after having been assigned to the Candy Store were the first to be treated lavishly, Billie having rented out a mansion in the Hills and bought nearly an entire shipment of Russian Vodka just to keep them from suspecting anything. $1,500 seemed like chump change compared to that.

When the waiter left to get them the bottle, Van turned to Billie and said, "You don't plan on drinking all of that yourself, do you?"

"Of course not," she replied. "I plan to share." Her tone was somewhat playful, suggesting that maybe Billie wasn't in such a bad mood anymore. He smiled at her joke and sat back in his chair.

"Hey, why don't you call Deaq and make sure that he's getting video and audio feed from the camera?" Billie suggested when she realized they hadn't checked in with him yet all morning. "He's probably worried sick that we haven't called to tell him we were okay."

"Alright, I'll be back in a minute. Pour me a glass when the wine gets here," Van said as he stood up from his seat and walked out of the restaurant to the lobby so he could make the call. He pulled out his cell phone, and with the push of a button, was connected to his partner.

"Where the hell have you been?" were the first words out of Deaq's mouth when he picked up.

"Busy," Van replied. "We're in the restaurant. Billie just placed a camera in the flower arrangement at the table. I'm just calling to make sure you're getting everything."

"Hold on, lemmie check." Deaq put down the phone for a moment. Van could hear the clicking of the keyboard as his partner brought up the feed on Billie's computer. He picked up the phone again and said, "Yeah, I've got everything. Billie's being poured a glass of wine by the waiter. I think he's also hitting on her."

Van chuckled, "Well, I hope he knows what he's getting himself into. What about the truck? Has it arrived yet?" Again he heard the quick clicks of the keyboard as Deaq searched for the status of the truck that was hauling the weapons to Aspen.

"Yeah, it's at a secure site. Aspen PD is letting us use one of their impound lots to hold it until we need it," Deaq relayed. Billie had set everything up in those last couple of days before they left, and as Deaq looked on, he felt a little better about them not being in LA. But he still had his doubts. No matter how many safety measure she put in, something was always bound to go wrong.

"Thanks, man," Van replied as he turned around and made a quick sweep of lobby just in time to see Abney and his men arriving at the front door. He was carrying an aluminum suitcase in one hand; the payment for the weapons. "It's show time. Abney's here. Get ready to record everything."

"Good luck," Deaq replied just before Van ended their conversation by flipping closed his phone.

As Abney got closer, Van quickly changed his mentality and put on a show by saying, "Hello, Drayden. It's nice to see you again. We already have a table at the restaurant and the wine is waiting." God, how he hated kissing ass, especially to men like Drayden Abney. The man screamed elegant and sophisticated, something he felt he lacked.

"Ah, Van," Abney replied, extending his hand. They shook momentarily before Van whisked him towards the table in the restaurant where he knew Billie was waiting for them. The rest of the men in his crew stayed behind, including Rousseau in his ever present cheap suit. Van wondered why he didn't buy something a little more high end, especially since he supposedly had so much money. Well, having money didn't necessarily mean having class, he reasoned.

When they got to the table, Billie instantly stood up, a smile plastered on her bring pink lips. "Good afternoon, Drayden," she said, extending her hand. But what she got was a soft kiss instead of a shake. It sent goose bumps down her spine as Abney helped her into her seat, then put the aluminum case he'd been holding on the ground at his feet. She loved the attention, especially since she didn't have to do anything in return.

The waiter swung by again a few minutes later as they discussed the lighter things, like how the hotel was, and what they thought of Aspen. Billie took a few sips of her wine glass, enjoying the taste of the rich Merlot. She liked it so much that two glasses later she was all smiles and giggles. Van wasn't slow to notice. He knew something like this was going to happen. Ever since the incident at the club, he took stock of every drink Billie had, and this was no exception.

By the time the food arrived, she was heavily liquored up, and it was beginning to show. She couldn't keep her body steady; it swayed from side to side as her speech also became a problem. There wasn't a word she could say that didn't come out slurred. Concern for her and the case were the two things that permeated Van's mind as he closely watched her while keeping an open ear to Abney. He needed to stay focused on what was going on, but he also needed to make sure that Billie didn't do or say anything stupid as well.

Finally, when she said, "I think we need another bottle!" in that overly giddy voice after having poured the last of the contents into her glass, Van knew it was time to take her back upstairs to sleep off the alcohol. By that time she had already had four. This would have been her fifth. Business had yet to be discussed, and Abney was becoming impatient with his body language setting off alarm bells in Van's head. He kept fiddling with his napkin and silverware. It wasn't a good sign.

"I think you've had enough," Van stepped in and took the bottle out of Billie's hand. "I also think it's time for you to go upstairs and get some sleep." He helped Billie out of her seat and placed his arm around her waist. He also grabbed her purse off the table and slung it over her arm. Van turned to Abney and added, "I'll be right back so we can finish discussing business."

"But I don't wanna go!" Billie mumbled as he head fell back against his shoulder. Van didn't know what he was going to do, or how he'd get her back upstairs without making a scene. This was by far the worst thing that could possibly happen that day. It couldn't get any worse, or more embarrassing than that.

"I have a better idea," Abney replied. He turned towards the door and with the motion of his hand, Rousseau quickly made an entrance. "Please take Billie to her room," he ordered his employee.

Van was hesitant to give his partner over to a man that he knew not to trust, but he couldn't let Abney know that. Without a second thought, he leaned Billie against the tall Frenchman and let him leave with her. Yet that pang of guilt and mistrust continued to play on Van's senses. He needed to wrap business up as quickly as possible if he wanted to make sure that Billie was safe.

Sitting back down in his seat, Van turned to Abney and asked, "Do you have what we discussed?" He knew he was rushing, but Billie was the priority. His mind wouldn't stop thinking about all the possibilities of danger she could encounter with Rousseau by her side. It made him sick to think the disgusting Frenchman was holding her right now. Bile began to rise in his throat, but Van swallowed it back, hoping he'd done the right thing.

Van chided himself for dwelling so much on Billie. He needed to shift his focus back to Abney and the case. After all, he could deal with Rousseau later. Abney was only here right now, and the whole case was riding on their exchange.

"Of course," Abney answered, using his foot to slowly slide the aluminum case under the table towards Van. He picked it up and set it on the seat beside him then proceeded to open it.

Immediately Van noticed something was wrong. "That's not two million dollars," he pointed out. "Where's the rest of it?"

"Half now, half when I get the shipment," Abney answered, folding his arms across his chest.

Van was thoroughly pissed now. Abney had just thrown a monkey wrench into their perfectly set plans. Billie had set it up so he would have to pick up the truck at a location she'd be able to control. This meant they'd have to make the delivery themselves. That doomed feeling soon began to come back as Van leaned back in his seat.

Abney pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Van. "Directions to the warehouse; I want you to take the shipment there and drop it off at the loading dock then come inside through the back door," he said, instantly turning serious. "I will give you the rest of the money when I know I have the entire shipment. I will meet you there at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Don't be late." It was then that he stood up and made his way out of the restaurant.

Van breathed a quick sigh of relief then snatched the camera out of the flowers and the case off the chair, proceeding to tell the waiter to charge the lunch to their room as he rushed upstairs to check on his partner.

Billie and Rousseau were inching their way closer to the room. He knew he had her in the prefect position, drunk and vulnerable. It wouldn't take much to extract some revenge on the woman that had him by the balls. Hell, there was a lot he could do in this empty hallway that she'd probably never remember. His first move was placing a hand on her ass, which she didn't protest in the least. His second move had been feeling up her breasts. A grin came across his slimy face when he realized that her partner wouldn't be coming any time soon. Now was the prefect opportunity to really get Billie good.

Rousseau leaned her against the wall. Billie was in no shape to protest, her body having lost any sensation from all the alcohol in her system. He began by slowly unbuttoning her jacket, then moving to her blouse. But before he could get the first button undone, Rousseau felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and a fist slammed into his nose.

"You touch her again, and your nose won't be the only broken thing on your body," Van venomously spat at the man who was now on the ground at his feet, struggling to get up from the hard blow. For good measure, Van swiftly kicked him in the chest just to make sure he got his point across. He then bent down, took Rousseau by the collar, and said, "If for one moment you think you're going to try and screw us over, just know there will be hundreds, if not thousands of people out to get you if I don't kill you first."

Van straightened up, letting go of Rousseau's collar and making his way towards Billie, who was getting ready to pass out. Gently taking her in his arms, he lifted her off the ground and carried her the rest of the way to their room, juggling the aluminum case in his hand. Once inside its safe confines, Van delicately laid her on the bed and set the case down beside it. "Billie," he whispered, placing a hand on her cheek. His gut had told him something very bad would happen. He was thankful he'd been able to stop it from getting worse. At least she was safe now. But that still didn't mean he wasn't worried about what might have happened. "Come on, Billie, wake up," he nearly begged as he leaned over her, trying to get her eyes to focus on him.

"Mmm," she finally grunted. Billie's face was that pale white color mixed with just a hint of green and her eyes glassy and unfocused. She was still unable to verbalize in a normal manner, only grunting and groaning sounds that she tried to make words out of. She was trying to tell him something, but failing miserably. All Billie could do was flail her arms in hopes of making him somehow understand. But when her face turned sour suddenly, Van knew. He ran into the bathroom and grabbed the trash can just seconds before Billie threw up.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and held back her long, dark hair as he said, "That's it, just let it go. You'll feel much better afterwards." When Billie was finally done, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, never once realizing what was going on. She was way far gone now, or, as Van liked to put it, a space cadet. Anything he planned for that afternoon was put on hold so he could take care of her.

For once, he really didn't mind. After that close call with Rousseau, Van knew he couldn't trust the bastard any farther than he could throw him. He was just glad Billie hadn't been assaulted. That would have made his blood boil. Come to think of it, his blood was already boiling. There was nothing more he wanted to do than smash the Frenchman's face in. At least he'd been able to take out a little of his frustration on the slime ball. But it still wasn't enough. Rousseau had messed with someone he cared about, and Van wanted nothing more than to pummel him again for what he'd done.

Van took a deep breath, knowing he was getting riled up over nothing. Instead, he focused his attention on Billie again, gently slipping off her shoes and jacket. Grabbing a couple of fluffy pillows from the other side of the bed, he placed them under her head and drew the covers over her body. And with a soft, feather light kiss on her forehead, he whispered a promise, "I will _never_ let that happen to you again."

Van took off the jacket of his suit and threw it over the back of the easy chair beside the bed then kicked off his shoes. He was tired. The day was slowly wearing him down, as was his worry. He lay down beside Billie, wrapping his arms around her waist in a protective gesture. Then, and only then, was he reassured that she'd be okay. Soon after, he was also asleep.

* * *

Hey everybody! Hope you liked the update. I'm determined to finish the last of this background before I get back to Van and Billie in the cabin. Should be update after next. Anyway, I hope that whet your appetite for what's coming up next... the confrontation! This should get real interesting! Okay, review Q&A time!

prplerayne: You made a GREAT analogy between Billie and the Tin Man. That makes sooo much sense! She just needs to find that icy thing she calls her heart and warm it up a bit. And when she does, I have a pretty good feeling that it's gonna be an earth shattering revelation! Oh, the things I can do to her when she does have that epiphany! You're in for a real treat! There will most likely be a Billie breakdown in the chapters to come!

Fan4fastln: Yeah, Billie really isn't a cold hearted bitch. She just needs something to smack her upside the head every once in a while so she does show some feelings. And I probably wouldn't have had the same apprehension either about warming up Van... Ooh, that's a nice thought... I'm really gonna enjoy dreaming about that tonight! As for the slip of paper, it's just a receipt for some takeout. Nothing important, unless I really wanna make it important... Nah! There's enough going on in this story at the moment.

Avillie: School, papers, school, papers, work, papers, projects, works... That's pretty much my daily routine. It sux... I know. I just pulled a triple shift at work... That was a BITCH! And somehow I managed to finish the homework that's due tomorrow. Wow, I really do surprise myself sometimes. Anyway, I'm so glad that update made your jaw drop! I wanted to make sure I got maximum shock value out of it, which, apparently, I did. :) In future updates, you'll find out what Van is thinking about Billie's sudden show of affection. I can tell you this: It's gonna get REALLY interesting!

Francesca: OMG! You got G4 too! I officially LOVE that channel! I get my Van fix nearly every day because of G4, LoL! I loved this past week's episode, and I can't wait to watch this week's even though I know what's gonna happen, hehe! And OMG! Saved By The Bell! I still can't believe it's the same person... What a total turn-around Tiffany made between those shows. Real shocker. Still like watching the reruns, tho. Total throwback. Thanks for reading the story! So glad you're enjoying it. Hope this update was just as interesting as the last few have been.

simbagirl: Where are you? OMG! I hope everything is going okay. Please email me ASAP! I'm getting worried!

And, of course, the unsigned... You guys are always awesome! Thanks for just reading!

As always, PLEASE REVIEW! I really wanted to know what you all thought of the last update because that was the one many of you had been waiting for. It's not too late to tell me! By all means, please do! I just really wanna know what you thought. I'm a very curious person by nature, so drop me a line anytime!

Stay tuned! More story coming soon!


	10. Aspen That Morning…

_Aspen That Morning… _

Van didn't realize just how tired he was until he woke up the next morning to the first rays of the sun slowly peeking over the mountains. The view from the picturesque window just a meter from the bed was incredible. He smiled, looking down at the woman sleeping beside him, her hand having fallen against his hip some time during the night. His fingers traced over the lines and curves of her face, pushing back soft, silky strands of hair away from it.

It was at that moment the magnitude of Billie's beauty really hit him. Van felt a sudden urge to place a kiss on her pale pink lips, but quickly refrained, fearing her wrath if she woke up. This was the exact same thing he'd tried to save her from last night. What the hell was he doing now? Van wanted to pull away, feeling like a hypocrite, but with her head pinning his right arm, he couldn't move without waking her. So he stayed put, his gaze moving back to the window as he watched the sun rise over the mountaintops.

A soft sigh escaped Billie's lips as she readjusted her position. She quickly stopped, feeling the hard, warm muscle of an arm beneath her head. Her eyes immediately opened and her gaze fell upon her partner.

Van looked down at her confused expression and couldn't help but smile. "Good morning," he whispered.

"What the hell are you doing in my bed?" Billie was quick to respond, unable to figure out what possessed her to allow him to sleep beside her.

Shaking his head and still smiling, Van replied, "You don't remember what you did yesterday, do you?"

A frown appeared on her face as she tried to think back to the day before and what she could have done. The restaurant and the wine all came rushing back. "Shit," Billie muttered, her wiping across her face in frustration. Other than that, she couldn't remember anything else. "What did I do? Please, tell me. Did I make a total ass out of myself?"

"Uh, sorta," Van said. His smile grew into a full on grin. "You got trashed during our lunch with Drayden."

"Why didn't you stop me?" Billie's voice rose nearly an octave in a near yell.

"Because every time I tried to, you gave me that look, like you were gonna chop off my hand with your knife if I even touched your glass," Van shot back, still amused. "But the good news is that Drayden gave me the money. The bad news is that it's only half of what we agreed on."

"What?"

"Yeah, he said he'd give us the other half _after_ we dropped off the shipment at the warehouse."

"That bastard! And here I was thinking we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. This is a total setback to the case. I can't believe he could do something like that," Billie ranted, the anger and frustration clear in her voice.

"Well, I can see that you're doing better. Now, if I can please have my arm back, I'd like to go to the bathroom and relieve myself," Van said as he tugged his arm away from her head.

Billie sat up and instantly regretted it. Her head began to swim. The four glasses of wine she'd drunk the day before still hadn't filtered out of her system. She lay back down, this time against the pillows instead of Van's arm. He'd already gotten up and was walking to the bathroom when she had a flashback of a few things she did remember from the previous afternoon. It involved Rousseau, Van, and a punch.

"Hey, Van," she called to her partner. "How did I get here after lunch?"

Van stopped just centimeters from the bathroom door, his mind returning to the scene between him and Rousseau in that empty hallway. He was contemplating whether or not telling Billie would be a good idea, especially since she was already angry at Abney for pulling a fast one on them with the money. "I carried you," he finally answered, sounding as if he were guilty of something. It was strange, how he could lie so well when it came to marks and perps, but when it came to Billie, he couldn't even get the smallest white lie past her.

"Then why did you punch Xavier?" Billie asked.

Van raked his fingers through his hair. She did remember something, but to what extent, he had no clue. It was better if he just tested the waters to see how much she did recall. Slowly, he turned around to face her. Billie didn't appear mad, but looks were always deceiving with her. One moment she could be the picture of innocence, while the next she could be the devil incarnate.

"He was being an ass," Van finally answered. It was the truth, just not all of it.

"You're lying," Billie was quick to call him out.

"I'm not lying! He was being an ass!" he tried to defend himself by going all pouty on her, but he knew she was too smart for that routine. It might have worked the first time, but not now. Billie merely waited, her eyes never leaving his until he finally gave in. Van sighed and said, "He-he was… touching you. I saw him take off your jacket and go for your shirt, so I punched him." His gaze dropped immediately, unable to look at the shock on her face. "I thought he was going to rape you," his voice was so low and full of emotion, he didn't know how it managed to carry across the room.

Billie's mouth had dropped open. For a second, she thought Van was lying to her again, but when his gaze fell to the floor, she knew it was the truth. It stunned her speechless for several moments before something between a gasp and a hiccup escaped her lips. Anger and hatred towards the Frenchman began to burn in her chest as her hands turned into white knuckled fists. She punched the pillow beside her and didn't stop until Van crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her.

Billie was glad for the distraction, instantly burying her face in his shirt as she clung to him for dear life. They hugged for a while, until her anger finally subsided and she felt a little better. Van kneeled down in front of her so they could look each other in the eyes. "I wish I would have been there to stop him from doing whatever else he did to you," Van said. It seemed as if he were about to cry.

The pain and regret she saw on his face was reminiscent of the look he'd had when his first partner, Andre, died over a year earlier. Billie cupped his face in her hands and smiled weakly, "You did everything you could. Thank you."

A long silence passed between them as blue eyes stared into grey green. Her hands continued to hold his face, a reassuring gesture for both of them. As long as some part of her body was touching his, Billie felt safe. She didn't want to let go of Van, not for a while, not until she knew she wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore, but he had to let go. After kneeling for at least half an hour, his knees were beginning to hurt, and what was worse, he still needed to go to the bathroom.

"Billie, I gotta pee," Van said as she finally let go and he was able to stand, well, somewhat. His legs were slightly numb, but that feeling would go away soon. Billie realized what had happened, and before she knew it, the moment was over. She let him go and lay back down on the mound of fluffy pillows.

'Men,' Billie thought, 'they know exactly when to say the wrong things.' She was about ready to close her eyes and go back to sleep when the shrill cry of Van's cell phone scared her back in to consciousness. 'DAMN IT!' She sat up and yelled, "Van, answer your phone!"

He came running out of the bathroom, wiping his hands on his trousers, and grabbed the phone out of the breast pocket of his jacket. "Yeah?" Van answered, heading back into the bathroom to take the call in a little more privacy.

"Good morning, sunshine," Deaq greeted him when he finally answered.

"Good morning to you too," Van sarcastically retorted. "You're up bright and early."

"Yeah, couldn't sleep. How's Billie?"

"Better." Van tried to keep his answers short. He wasn't in the mood to deal with an overly perky partner at the moment, especially after that emotional ordeal he'd just gone through with Billie. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Deaq, he was just afraid to because he knew his partner would get pretty angry as well and would probably want to fly down just so he could take a crack at Rousseau as well.

"That whole lunch scene was a riot to watch," Deaq continued. Van could almost see the Cheshire grin on his face. If he was in LA, he'd probably be trying to beat it into oblivion right now.

"Don't bring that up. You weren't the one holding her hair as she puked in a trash can about half an hour later," Van shot back as he leaned against the sink.

"Just hearing it was bad enough," Deaq sympathized. "But that's not why I'm calling. We got problems."

Van sighed, "Oh, no."

"Yeah, oh, no is right. I didn't get the exchange between you and Drayden on tape. The feed cut out when Billie left. Did she have the transmitter on her?"

"Shit," Van muttered, realizing that the tiny device had been in her purse all along, and that when he handed her off to Rousseau, he'd also given her the purse. Again, he sighed. "That's not our only problem," he added. "Drayden only gave me half the money. He said he'd give me the rest when we made the delivery today."

"Damn," Deaq grumbled. "I knew this wasn't going to go as planned."

"No shit," Van sarcastically retorted. "Now you see why I was against this whole plan from the beginning? Something always has to go wrong when we're away from LA. Look what happened in Morocco. I've got a feeling the same thing is gonna happen here."

"I dunno what to tell you, V, other than be careful. Drayden's a very dangerous man. Who knows what he's thinking. Keep your guard up, and don't let Billie drink anymore. I don't wanna end up sending her to AA," Deaq said.

Van couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. "I've already told her that. There's no way in hell she'll go unless it gets bad. But don't worry, I'll keep the alcohol away from her," Van reassured as he hung up the phone, knowing the conversation was over by that point. He left the bathroom, wondering how he'd tell Billie about their new problem. Blatantly seemed about right.

"We've got problems," Van said the moment he stepped into the bedroom. Billie looked up at him sharply. She'd been flipping through a magazine while he'd been on the phone. "Deaq didn't get the exchange. The transmission cut out just before Drayden gave me the money."

"Shit," Billie muttered, throwing the magazine to the floor beside the bed. She stood up and stretched, popping a few of her joints back into place. "Well, I guess we have to go see him today. I'm gonna start getting ready. We'll have to go pick up the truck from the impound lot and figure out where the hell this warehouse is. I wasn't able to find it while I was going through Aspen records."

"Did you ever stop and wonder if it even existed?" Van replied, devoid of any sarcasm. He wasn't trying to be an ass. It was a legitimate question. But Billie still gave him one of her sharp, angry glares. "Uh, why don't we just check out the directions he gave me yesterday. That should give us a better idea of where this place is." He searched his jacket pocket for the small slip of paper, and when he found it, he handed it to her.

"You got a map?" Billie retorted, a little angry that he was questioning her again.

"No," Van shot back. "You got a computer?"

Billie didn't really say or do anything; she just walked over to her luggage and grabbed a backpack. Upon opening it, Van realized this was where she kept her laptop. As soon as Billie booted it up, they were quickly on the Internet searching for where these directions would lead them.

"It's the middle of nowhere!" Van exclaimed after she'd pulled up a map of the area and followed the directions. They looked at each other, exchanging worried expressions.

"I guess being really careful never meant more than it does now," Billie glumly replied as she shut the laptop down and put it back into her backpack. Again, they looked at each other in concern. After a couple of seconds, they headed their separate ways and got ready for what was to come.

An ominous feeling settled over the pair. Van felt it down into the depths of his soul. Something was going to happen today, and neither one of them was going to like it. Billie also felt it, but not as strongly. She somehow had a more positive outlook on what was to come, even though she knew better. Nothing ever worked out just as planned.

After about two hours of silent preparation, Billie finally asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Van replied, grabbing his parka, phone, Blackberry, and gun before they left the room.

They were soon slowly walking out of the hotel, stopping at the front door to wait for their car.

Billie turned to her partner, her stoic face barely hinting at the turmoil she felt inside, and asked, "Will you drive the truck?" He simply nodded his head, grey green eyes averted. She knew what he was hiding. Unlike herself, Van was an open book when it came to reading the emotions on his handsome face. One glance told her he was nervous; a second showed her fear. But Billie refused to acknowledge it, knowing better. The last thing she needed was to start believing this was a setup and that Rousseau had ratted them out to Abney.

When the valet pulled up with their Jaguar, the pair got in and drove off in silence, their minds in different places. Billie was focused on the details of the case, and what she'd do if anything were to happen while Van's mind seemed to wander into the realm of all the bad things Abney could possibly be planning for them after they made the exchange. Flashes of his kidnapping came to mind, the knife slicing through the soft flesh of his thumb all the way down to the bone was the type of pain he could never forget. He visibly shuddered at the memory, forcing it back into the depths of his sub-conscious. He wished he could just forget it completely, but that would never come true. It would remain etched in his memory for all time.

After fifteen minutes of silence, they finally pulled into the impound lot and picked up the truck without any problems, and it was off to the warehouse. Billie led while Van followed, and silently, they drove out of Aspen and into the snowy countryside that surrounded the city. It took them nearly half an hour to reach their destination, putting them just under the 3:00 mark. Van parked at the loading dock just as he had been told while Billie found a spot a few meters away. As she got out of the car, she thought about bringing her purse in with her, but decided against it. The camera and receiver fit perfectly in her pocket, so she had no use for it. Besides, assuming all went well, they'd be back in a few minutes with the money and a case.

"You ready?" she asked Van as they met up at the back door. Before going inside, they did a quick sweep of the warehouse perimeter, finding this door to be the only entrance and exit on this side of the building.

As she grabbed the doorknob, Van put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Billie, wait." Billie paused for a moment, waiting for what he had to tell her. "I just want you to know…" he started before she rudely cut him off.

"If you're gonna tell me some stupid factoid about who your favorite singer was or something along those lines, I don't wanna hear it. We're here to make a case, not trade stories," she quickly dismissed him as she grabbed the doorknob and yanked the door open.

"Okay, that was low," Van grumbled as he followed her inside.

The warehouse was dark with only a couple of old, dusty tungsten lamps providing some artificial light. The windows that spanned the entire perimeter of the warehouse were caked in sludge and God knew what else, being of no use. There might have been one cracked open every several meters, but no light still shone in. The pair walked through the old place, noting how bare and empty it was, their shoes echoing loudly as they approached a table where three men were sitting, waiting for them.

At the center of the table stood Rousseau, his nose covered in white gauze and dark circles under both his eyes. Van couldn't keep the bile from rising into his throat. Here was the man that had nearly assaulted Billie the night before. All he wanted to do was go up to him and break his neck. Glancing over at her, he realized she felt exactly the same. The only thing she wanted to do right now was pummel his ugly French ass. But she was somehow managing to keep her cool as her eyes narrowed at him.

"Where's Drayden?" Billie coldly asked once they were all facing each other.

"He will be here shortly," Rousseau answered, giving her a mischievous grin that Van knew meant trouble.

Van pulled out his gun and immediately replied, "You worthless bastard!"

Rousseau rolled his eyes and nonchalantly held up his hands. "You think you can shoot me, right here, right now? Go ahead and try," he mockingly retorted, grabbing his own piece.

The two men stood there, guns pointed at each other, with Billie and the others looking on in surprise, ready to pounce if worse came to worse. "Van," she said between clenched teeth. "Put your gun down!"

"Not until he gives me a good reason to shoot him," he answered, his voice full of anger and rage. The only thing that stood between him and shooting the Frenchman was the woman that now stood between them. Billie had walked in front of Van and put her hand over the barrel of his gun. Her eyes were soft, telling him to calm down, but it was hard, especially after images of yesterday afternoon kept popping into his head.

"We can deal with it later," Billie slowly said in a low voice that only he could hear. But Van refused to put down his gun. He kept it aimed at Rousseau even as the door behind them slammed shut and the sound of footsteps echoed through the room.

"Now, now, boys," Abney's cool voice resonated through the warehouse as he approached the table. Billie immediately stepped away to Van's side as he finally lowered his weapon. "You can kill each other later. We have business to finish."

There was a smile on Abney's face as he walked around to the other side of the table and set an aluminum case down on its moldy old wooden panels. He looked at the pair, almost as if he were sizing them up, then opened the case. Van could clearly see it was the rest of the money, allowing him to relax for just a moment. But that moment would be short lived as he extended his free hand and dropped the keys to the truck into Abney's palm.

"You got your guns, and we've got our money,' Van said as he and Billie began to step away from the table. "I guess that means we can go our separate ways now."

Abney merely laughed. "Not so fast," he replied, slipping the keys into his pocket and pulling out his gun. He pointed it at Van and Billie and added, "Hands up. Guns on the floor."

They looked at each other in shock, then at Rousseau, who had a wide grin plastered on his ugly face. Van turned to Billie and said, "Déjà vu," as he put his gun down on the ground at his feet.

"Oh, shut up!" she nearly yelled back at him.

"How many times have I told you not to bring someone in from the outside? Do you ever listen to me? No! And look, it just came back to bite us in the ass!" As the words left Van's mouth, a plan was immediately beginning to formulate in his mind. Now, if only Billie could see where he was going… "I hate having to say this Billie, but I told you so!"

Soon after he made that last comment, Billie caught onto his game. A quick glance at Abney and his crew confirmed her suspicion that Van was trying to confuse them, and possibly catch them off guard. "You were the one who was supposed to do the background checks and surveillance!" she threw back. With her eyes, she signaled to him that they were almost at that perfect moment where all chaos would break loose. She could only hope that no one would get hurt.

"So you're pinning this all on me?" Van's voice rose nearly an octave higher than his usual pitch. He was one hell of an actor. If he ever got fired, acting would probably be his next gig.

"Both of you shut up!" Abney ordered, becoming annoyed with their banter. He just wanted to kill them both right now so he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. He'd already lowered his gun, which was when Billie glanced at Van and nodded.

Without warning, her right leg swung up and kicked the guns of their attackers. The four of them were surprised, to say the least. Van had dropped down to grab his gun and quickly aimed and fired, taking out one of them as he and Billie made a run for it. They managed to find a hiding place behind a steel pillar before the three remaining men opened fire on them.

"Seriously, next time when I tell you bringing in a snitch is a bad idea, will you listen to me?" Van yelled over the hail of bullets that sped their way.

"You don't make the decisions, I do," Billie was still the thickheaded woman he knew her to be. Even in a pinch, she didn't budge. After the first wave of gunfire, she'd found the perfect opening to hopefully get them both out alive. "Cover me!" she yelled…

And that's how they ended up where they were right now. Billie continued to wake up in the middle of the night, the past week's events playing over and over again in her mind. The guilt she felt for everything that had happened, all because she was too stubborn to listen to the man that was now lying cold in her arms. If only she could go back… Maybe she would have done things differently.

* * *

The background finally finished! I can get on with the rest of the story now! I hope that was interesting enough for you. Soon, well, very soon, this story should be finished. I hope you like what I've written so far, and everything makes sense. Thanks for your wonderful reviews! They've kept me going, especially after a day like yesterday. Pulling overnights at work SUCK! And all that Red Bull and Coffee really can kill you. But here's my offering to all you hungry readers. So, PLEASE REVIEW! Keep my muse from retreating into her other happy place. 

Avillie: You need a life? I NEED A LIFE! Shit! I haven't gone out in weeks! It's work, homework, work, homework... 4 more weeks and it's over! I can breath a month of relief, then its back to that same routine again. I'm so glad I'll be graduating in May. But I've just gone on too long about myself! I guess this update answered your question about whether or not Billie finds out what happened. I hope you got a kick out of that "moment" she had with Van. Molecules of sweetness in a sea of chaos. That's the best description of it so far. Don't worry, I'm not done yet! There's some great stuff to come, you'll see!

prplerayne: Billie and liquor obviously don't mix well, hehe! All the more reason to give her a bottle of alcohol when she finally does have a nuclear meltdown! Oh, that's gonna be a whole lotta fun! I can't wait to post that chapter. You're gonng get a tota kick out of it! Emerald City, HAHA! Another Oz reference! Yeah, Billie definitely needs some courage and a heart. Well, she'll get both soon! You just wait and see! I know you're gonna enjoy it!

Francesca: Question answered! I hope that was interesting enough for you. Zack.. He was so hot! Still is, in my opinion. Hehehe. There's a whole lotta Van/Billie moments to come. And believe me, they will definitely be worth the wait! Especially after Billie has "an earth shattering revelation." Too bad I can't say more. You're just gonna have to stick it out for a little while longer until I finally get to the best part of my story. Soon, very soon!

fan4fastln: There is a reason for Billie's drinking. I just need to somehow work it into the part of the story that I've already written. Thank you for bringing it up! I nearly forgot I had to write it in. That's gonna be the hard part. Other than that, everything else will be a breeze. Sorry to leave Van and Billie hanging in Aspen, even tho the last sentence of this update should give you some clue as to what's going on. Coming up next: Deaq. I have a feeling that was gonna be your next question, so I might as well clear it up now. Sorry it took so long to update. The muse, and work, have been very fickle lately, so has class... It's the month before finals... Somebody please relieve me of this misery...

sinbagirl: Oh, thank God! I was really getting worried about you and wondering what was going on. Anyway, so glad to see you again! I'm glad you liked the last couple of updates. Hope they got you wonderig what the hell is going on and where the rest of this story is going. :) Hope you enjoyed this update, too. I can't wait to see what you thought. There's more to come soon!

The Unsigned: You guys are great! I can see the hits on my story and I'm so glad that you're reading even if you're not reviewing. Thank you!

More story coming soon!


	11. The Candy Store This Afternoon…

_The Candy Store This Afternoon… _

All the equipment was up and running, the monitors displaying the video feed, the speakers turned on high recording everything from the Candy Store as Deaq sat comfortably at Billie's desk, his broken leg propped up on one of the other chairs that usually sat around it.

"So this is what it's like to be Billie," he said to himself, surveying the expanse of the converted warehouse. "I could get used to this."

But his relative ease in his surroundings was far fromwarehouse, and Billie was trying to calm Van down after he'd spotted Rousseau. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened the day before to prompt him to get so angry with this guy. It was something he'd have to think about later, after the bust went down and the two were home safe.

As soon as Abney stepped into the picture, holding the aluminum case with the money, he leaned closer to Billie's computer screen, his hand on his phone so that the moment Van and Billie were out of there, he could call Aspen PD for backup. But that wouldn't be the case, because as soon as the exchange had been made, Abthough, he was all eyes and ears to the monitors and the speakers. Van and Billie were in the warehouse, and Billie was trying to calm Van down after he'd spotted Rousseau. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened the day before to prompt him to get so angry with this guy. It was something he'd have to think about later, after the bust went down and the two were home safe.

As soon as Abney stepped into the picture, holding the aluminum case with the money, he leaned closer to Billie's computer screen, his hand on his phone so that the moment Van and Billie were out of there, he could call Aspen PD for backup. But that wouldn't be the case, because as soon as the exchange had been made, Abney brought his endgame.

"Oh, no," Deaq barely whispered, his eyes unable to move from the screen as he watched Abney pull out his gun and point it at his partner and boss. When he heard Van begin to badger Billie about the decision she'd made to bring Rousseau in, he knew his partner was trying to buy them some time. And once Billie caught on, they were hopefully in the clear. She'd done a roundhouse kick, knocking the would be murders' guns together as she and Van made a run for it behind a steel pillar only meters from the door.

The scene played out like an action movie. Gunfire erupted from all directions. Van had only enough time to take out one of Abney's men before they started shooting at each other. When Billie yelled, "Cover me!" he could only hope that she'd found a way out and that she and Van would get away safely. Yet again, that wouldn't be the case. Just as Van reached the door, a bullet hit him in the shoulder. He fell into Billie and the feed cut out.

"NO!" Deaq shouted at the fuzzy grey screen as he shot out of his chair. He tapped the computer, hoping that it was just a slight malfunction, but when the picture didn't reappear, Deaq started to panic. He began the process of rebooting the computer in hopes of getting the thing working again, but he knew better. The small camera had probably been crushed when Van fell on top of Billie.

Immediately after the computer rebooted, Deaq started making phone calls. First to Billie's cell phone, then to Van's, but he never got an answer from either one of them. The panic he'd felt before only seemed to worsen as he kept trying to reach his partner and his boss. "Oh, hell no!" Deaq was now yelling at the computer screen and his phone as he tried to get the signal back from the camera.

Finally, Deaq resorted to calling the hotel and seeing if they had showed up yet, but as predicted, they hadn't. The hospitals in the area hadn't gotten any gunshot victims either. That only meant one thing: Van and Billie were still out there in the wilderness somewhere, with Abney's men at their heels. He could only hope they were safe, well, as safe as one could be with a bullet in their shoulder and a madwoman of a boss as a guide.

With his resolve wearing thing, Deaq finally called Aspen PD and put out an APB on Van and Billie. Soon after, he booked the first flight out of LA to Colorado and secured a ride to the airport. He didn't care about the overnight necessities. He'd pick them up when he arrived. Right now, his partner and his boss were in trouble, and they were his number one priority.

Van had once asked him what the scariest moment in his life was. It had been Billie going to prison on bull shit murder charges, but now it was this. Deaq could only cross his fingers and hope for the best as he hobbled outside to wait for Aquarius to pick him up and take him to the airport. Aspen PD had been notified that he'd be coming in to help them with the case since he had all the surveillance equipment and the radioactive dye marker signal tracker. It hadn't shown any movement for a while. Maybe by the time he was on the ground in Colorado, Deaq would have a better idea of where it was.

* * *

I hope ya'll liked that. It's almost 6AM right now, and I just wanted to post this little tidbit. It's not much, but it's something, ya know?

Avillie: There's plenty of drama coming your way. PLENTY! Believe me! I still haven't gotten to the really good part yet! As for your concern about the fire and the smoke... All in due time, my dear. All in due time.

prplerayne: I thought you'd like the devil incarnate crack. I had to put it in there. You know I did. Billie + Liquor Major meltdown! And poor Van is gonna get caught in the middle. Oh, the drama!

Shalimar1: Hi! So glad to meet you! Thanks for reviewing my story! I'm glad to see you're enjoying it so much. To satisfy your curiousity (and probably everyone else's), Van will have an interesting reaction to waking up beside Billie in the morning. You can count on it.

Francesca: Hey, I didn't mark this story with a Romance tag for nothing! You can definitely count on more sweet moments between the two of them, especially in a couple of chapters where all hell breaks loose. Uh-oh... I might have said too much!

agenttanya: Yep, almost over. Then it's time for my holiday story! Hehe. But not before I milk this one for all it's worth. Believe me, there's so much more to come, especially between Van and Billie.

fan4fastln: Where'd you go? I thought you woulda jumped on this last chapter with questions that I could answer. I hope everything's okay.

simbagirl: I just hope you're okay. Hope life isn't getting too hectic for you. Just wanna make sure you're okay. That's all.

The unsigned: You guys are awesome! Thank you for reading!

Sorry those were so short. I'm tired but I can't seem to get back to sleep, so posting this was my logical choice. Please review and keep me awake these next few nights so I can finish my story and post it for y'all. I really love feedback, especially when you have questions about the direction of the story. Please post them so I know whether or not there are holes in the plot I need to work out in future chapters. Thanks again for all your wonderful words and questions!

More story coming soon!

Happy Thanksgiving if I don't post before then!


	12. Morning in Aspen Right Now…

_Morning in __Aspen__ Right Now… _

Warmth. All enveloping, deliciously intoxicating warmth; Van felt it all around him as if it were a dream. He hadn't been this warm in a long time. Another sensation that slowly filtered through his somewhat slow senses was the touch of another warm body. A pair of arms was wrapped around his neck, cradling his head. Had he hooked up with someone the night before? He could barely remember a thing. It was all just a blur to him until he moved his right arm and a sharp pain sliced through his body like a knife. The jarring sensation sent images of last night's ordeal rushing into his mind: the shot to the arm, the bridge, and the river. The only thing he didn't remember was how he got here, wherever here was, wrapped in the arms of another person.

Van took a deep breath, trying to clear out his mind, but the spicy sweet scent of cinnamon caught him by surprise. He opened his tired eyes, more curious than ever to see who it was sleeping beside him. To his astonishment, it turned out to be Billie. Then again, it really shouldn't have been such a shock since they were working this hellish case together. He tried to push back and give her a little room, but with his body still so weak from the cold, he only managed to stir just enough to wake her.

"Mph," Billie sighed, breathing in deeply and slowly exhaling. Her left arm stretched over her head as the cobwebs cleared from her bleary blue eyes. Beside her, Van was awake, his sleepy grey green eyes watching her every move. "Hi," she whispered, a smile coming across her face from the relief that rushed through her to see he was doing better. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Van rasped, his lungs burning. He closed his eyes and swallowed, trying to make the pain go away even though he knew it wouldn't.

Billie pressed her left palm against his forehead. "You feel a little warm."

Smiling, Van mumbled, "Warm…" and snuggled closer to her. He was still quite tired and out of it from the previous night, and sleep seemed to be the best thing at the moment.

Unable to stop herself, Billie giggled when she felt him press his face into the crook of her neck. Her hand filtered through his shaggy chestnut colored hair, giving him all the more reason to put an arm around her and hold her a little tighter. She sighed, placing a soft kiss on his forehead as he drifted off again. "Just sleep," she whispered into his ear, her fingers ruffling through his hair again.

Never in her life had Billie shown anyone this much affection. In almost all of her other relationships she remained cold and distant, except for one. But she'd never think about that one because it hurt so much. Right now, all she could think about were her reasons for giving Van all this attention. Maybe it was the fact that she felt so bad about what had happened. Maybe it was because she feared she'd lose him before she got a chance to say just how much she actually cared for him and his partner. Maybe it went even deeper than that. Could it be that she was…? Billie stopped that train of thought before it even entered her mind. She wasn't about to admit anything beyond what she already knew to be true. Her feelings would just have to stay locked up until she had time to figure them out.

Shoving all the other thoughts out of her mind, Billie's attention soon fell upon Van's shoulder. She hadn't noticed the blood that soaked through the makeshift bandage until she saw it in the pale morning light. With a sigh, she wiggled out of Van's grasp and began to explore the rest of the house to see if she could find a first aid kit and something that she might be able to use as a disinfectant. But before that, she needed to get dressed. Her clothes had dried during the night in front of the fire, which was beginning to die.

After throwing another log into the hearth and putting on her shirt and jeans, Billie made her way to the bedroom she barely began to explore the night before. Now that she had some light, she was able to take a better look at what was in there. Her search didn't reveal anything she already didn't know. The dresser was empty except for a few moth balls and a bible, and in the closet there was nothing other than a set of spare pillows. Grabbing one, she headed back to the couch and gently lifted Van's head, putting the pillow beneath it. Unconsciously, he snuggled against it, never once waking. She was relieved to see he was doing much better than the night before.

There was only one time where Billie could ever remember being as scared as she was that night. Nearly five years had passed since then, yet she still refused to allow herself to let it resurface. It involved too much pain, and she needed to be strong right now, not a sobbing mess. She forced the thoughts out of her mind, replacing them with the memories of last night and how frightened she had been. She had had her fair share of scary moments in the past year where she thought someone would die under her watch, and at those times, she knew she could count on Van or Deaq to get out of it. But last night, it was only her and Van, stuck in the middle of a dark forest, hundreds of miles away from home and Deaq. It still scared her to think she could have lost him so easily. It was a feeling she never wanted to feel again. But why did she feel this way? If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't care this much, but Van… Again, she'd have to deal with it later. Right now, she needed to find that first aid kit.

Wandering out of the bedroom, Billie walked back out into the hall. There was another door in front of her leading into a bathroom with a toilet, shower, sink, and medicine cabinet. 'Bingo!' she thought, immediately opening the cabinet doors. Inside, she found a few things that might help Van; a roll of gauze, some tape, a large cotton pad, and a couple of hand towels. With her supplies in hand, Billie returned to the living room to deposit them on the coffee table beside their weapons. The last thing she needed was some alcohol to clean out the wound.

The kitchen-slash-dining room adjacent to the living room was her last stop. It was quite small, with only a few feet of room between the table and the black marble counter. A row of wood paneled cabinets ran along the floor and the ceiling. Beside the cabinets at the very corner of the kitchen was the stainless steel refrigerator. Billie began her search with the floor cabinets, managing to find enough non perishable food items to keep her and Van from starving for at least a few days. They ranged from cans of soup and vegetables to tea bags and cereal.

Next, Billie started searching through the ceiling cabinets, finding mostly plates, pots, pans, and food storage containers. She began to wonder if these people even drank alcohol until she reached the fridge. It was stocked full of vintage wine bottles, but wine was a poor disinfectant. Billie needed something strong, but she held off her search until she looked through the freezer. Inside were several packages of meat and fish. She was delighted to see something other than canned food in this place. It meant that she could cook herself a real meal and leave the softer foods for Van until he was strong enough to take everything else.

After closing the freezer, Billie turned to make her way out of the kitchen when she saw one more cabinet behind the table that she somehow missed during her first initial sweep of the room. Walking over to it and opening it, Billie's eyes lit up. "Oh, my God!" she whispered. There was so much alcohol in that cabinet it could keep her drunk for at least a month. And best of all, she found the perfect type of alcohol to clean Van's wound, vodka. She grabbed the bottle and headed back into the living room with it.

The one thing she noticed this place lacked was a phone. It concerned her, more like terrified her, that she and Van might be stuck here for a lot longer than they ever wanted to be. How could she have left everything in the car? Billie felt like a total idiot. As if things weren't bad enough already, Van's phone, along with every other piece of electronic equipment he owned had dropped out of his pockets and into the river the day before. Billie knew that she needed to leave Van and find a phone, or they'd never see home again. Wiping her mind of the thoughts that floated into it, she walked into the living room.

Billie took a seat on the armrest above Van's head and gently placed a hand on his warm cheek. A rush of relief ran through her again. Her thumb stroked his soft skin, easing him into consciousness. "Wake up, Van," she whispered. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times to clear his vision before he looked up at her, those grey green pools glistening in the morning light. A smile appeared on his face as he reached up and placed his hand over hers. "Good morning," Billie said, a smile crossing her own lips.

"Morning," Van mumbled. He was now slightly more coherent than he had been an hour ago. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his worry made quite clear by the look in his eyes.

"I'm just fine," she replied, slightly taken aback by his concern for her even though he was the one hurt.

"I was worried about you last night. I thought you got shot or something," he said, tempted to place a soft kiss on the palm of her hand just to see what she'd do. With all this attention he was getting, Van was sure Billie had somehow bumped her head on a tree somewhere in the woods. There was no way in hell she'd ever be this nice to him, even if he was hurt or bleeding.

Billie couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, Van," she answered. "Why is it that you're always worried about everyone but yourself?"

Van smiled, answering, "Just because."

She returned his smile, sliding off the armrest to sit beside him as she did her work. "Well, it's time to start thinking about yourself because you have one hell of a gunshot wound." Billie's hand slipped out of his grasp and gently began to fiddle with the makeshift bandage she applied the night before. It was shaking slightly from the fear that she'd hurt him more than he already was.

"Don't remind me," Van replied, turning towards her so she wouldn't have to lean so far over him. He was somewhat weirded out by the fact that her cleavage was right in his face. That's all he needed to be thinking about now, especially after having woken up with her nearly naked body snuggled up against his earlier that morning. It had haunted his dreams, but not in a bad way.

Van noticed her trembling hands, but didn't say anything about them. After all that had happened, he sensed there was something changing about his boss. The way she was treating him had been the first sign, and now the way she was talking to him. It was like her personality had done a complete turn around in the last 24 hours. Instead of the usual anger, rage, and general bitchiness that came out in her voice when she talked to him, there was an air of concern, mixed with caring, and maybe the slightest pinch of love, but he doubted the love. It might have been something else he sensed in there, he just didn't know what.

Billie managed to untie the knot she made and slowly unwrapped the still slightly damp bandage, revealing the true nastiness of the wound. She bit down on her lip. Van really needed a doctor, not some survival class nobody who didn't know as much as she wished she did. The outer edge of the hole was a deep shade of red while puss and God knew what else was oozing from the inside. She had to turn away, distracting herself by grabbing the bottle of vodka and one of the hand towels she took from the bathroom then soaked it with the alcohol.

"This might hurt," Billie warned, just before placing the towel against the wound. Van buried his face in the pillow and grabbed the cushion of the couch, instantly feeling the sharp stinging pain radiate down into the depths of his soul. The last thing he wanted to do was cry out and give her even more to worry about. But, GOD! This was the worst pain anyone could ever be subjected to. This was worse than having your finger sliced off with a sharp knife. At least that pain was quick with a knife. The alcohol just seemed to burn continuously, all the way down into his soul. Tears began to fill his eyes the longer it took Billie to clean out the wound. It must have been really bad to take this long. Over five minutes passed before her hand pulled away.

"You really need stitches," she nonchalantly mentioned, picking up the wad of cotton and dividing it into smaller pieces so she'd have some for the next change. Billie placed one on each side of his shoulder then began to wrap the gauze around them. She knew Van had to be in a hell of a lot of pain from the way he buried his face in the pillow and how his knuckles seem to turn white as he grabbed the cushion of the couch and held onto it for dear life. "You're done," Billie said after wrapping a couple strips of tape over the gauze and cutting them with her teeth.

"Thank you," Van replied. He paused for a moment before he added, "For everything. I didn't realize how much you actually cared."

Billie sighed. She knew this was coming, just not so soon. "It was nothing," she said, trying to play it off like it really didn't mean a thing to her. "I'm just returning the favor," she added, remembering that he'd saved her from a fate just as bad. She stood to make a quick exit, being unable to hold back her emotions, but he grabbed her hand before she had the chance. Billie turned to find herself staring deep into Van's grey green eyes, those mesmerizing pools capturing her attention and holding it.

"For what it's worth, you really aren't a cold, heartless bitch," he told her, brining her hand to his lips and placing a soft, gentle kiss on top of it.

An electrified rush jumped up Billie's spine and back down again, freezing her where she stood. Her heart felt like it had skipped a beat. 'This isn't happening,' she reminded herself, even though the feeling felt so real. 'I'm not falling for him. He works for me. I'm his boss. The only relationship we have is employer/employee. Nothing else.' And with that, she tugged her hand away and headed to the kitchen to start some breakfast. Her stomach growled, indicating she needed food before she went crazy. Cooking seemed to be the only way her mind dealt with the heavier things.

Billie grabbed the first piece of meat she found in the freezer, which looked like either beef or deer. She couldn't really tell which because they were so similar. The next thing she picked up was a bottle of red wine, a few cans of vegetables, a tea bag, a teapot, and a large sauce pan. She wished she had some fresh veggies, but she could live without them. Improvising was one of her best traits, and it showed when she was faced with cooking challenges.

Before Billie could begin, though, she needed to see if the stove worked. Hopefully the gas was still on, giving her some glimmer of hope that she and Van would make it out of here alive. When she lit the burner and it ignited, she let out of squeal of delight. It was one of the first things to go right. She placed the pan on top of the stove to let it heat up as she unpackaged the frozen meat and laid it out on the counter to thaw for a few minutes as the pan was getting hot.

The next thing Billie wanted to know was whether they had running water. As she turned on the faucet, it sputtered for a couple of moments, spitting out some residue, but roared to life soon after. Yet again, another happy sound escaped her lips as she let it run until the pipes had cleared out. She filled the teapot with the water and placed it on another burner next to the pan to let it warm up as well.

"What the hell are you doing in there?" Van yelled from the living room upon hearing the strange noises coming from the kitchen. He sat up on the couch, getting ready to stand and see if he could actually move around without falling over. The first task he took on was getting to his jeans, which were in a pile near the fireplace. With shaky steps, he actually made it without falling. His second task would be putting them on and not ending up on his ass on the floor, which he accomplished with a few tries and a lot of patience, something he didn't realize he had. Since his shirt was in bloody pieces, he chose to walk around without it.

Van breathed a sigh of relief and began making his way towards the kitchen. He found Billie standing over the stove, her focus on cooking the food she had laid out on the counter beside it. There were cans of vegetables and a piece of meat that resembled steak. His stomach growled even though his throat really wasn't happy about having to swallow anything since it hurt so much.

"Whatcha making?" Van asked as he leaned against the kitchen's doorframe.

"Van!" Billie angrily yelled. She had no idea how wrapped up she had gotten in her work until he nearly scared the crap out her when he entered the kitchen. Another thing she wasn't too happy about was that he felt the need to get up and move even though she thought it best for him to stay put. But that was Van for you, always a royal pain in the ass, hurt or not. "Get back on the couch!"

"Come on, Billie, you know I can't sit there, alone, without anyone to talk to," Van made his case as he sat down at the table across from where she was preparing the food.

"So you come in here just so you can irritate the shit out of me?" she spat back. Billie knew she was being harsh. She couldn't help it. After their exchange a few minutes ago in the living room, she needed to push him back just so she could get her bearings before she could even begin to handle her emotions. "Go put your shirt on," Billie added.

"I can go without it," he replied, wondering how far he could push her before she went psycho on him. It was fun to test Billie. But it also served a purpose. Van needed to know what was up with her. Ever since they met, he sensed something was off. She kept too much to herself, which wasn't a good thing. If she didn't release some of that pent up energy, he was afraid she'd break down and explode at any minute. It just wasn't healthy. Neither were her addictions, but those he'd have to deal with at another time.

Before Billie could throw back her retort, the teapot whistled. She grabbed a cup from one of the cabinets and poured some of the hot tea into it, setting it in front of Van. "Drink," she ordered, refusing to look at him as she turned back to her cooking. He was really getting under her skin, and if he kept pushing it, she'd kick his ass, hurt or not.

Van took a sip of the hot liquid, his throat thanking him as soon as he swallowed. "God, that's good," he commented, putting the cup down and glancing over at Billie as she searched through the cupboards for a bottle of oil. She looked really cute when she was angry. But there was something amiss with her anger. He could sense it when she yelled at him just a moment ago. Van had startled her out of her thoughts. There was something she had been thinking about that had nothing to do with him or this case, and he'd push her until he found out what it was. He always pushed, no matter where it got him. That was the only thing he knew how to do well. It had worked with Sophia Jones, why not Billie?

"You never told me what you were making," Van added, taking another swig of his tea.

"Why do you care so much?" Billie shot back, finally having found a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, which she coated the bottom of the pan with. She was on the edge with him, and he was really pushing his luck now.

"Because I'm hungry," Van dumbly replied. "Jeez, what crawled up your ass?" he mumbled loudly to himself so she'd hear him.

Billie turned around to glare at him, the anger present on her face. "What crawled up my ass?" she seethed. "You crawled up my ass with all your damn questions! Why can't you just shut up for once and let me have some peace?"

"Why are you running hot and cold all of a sudden?" Van nearly shouted back, unable to keep his own anger in check after the way she had been treating him. He was getting sick of her attitude and needed to know why she was acting so strange. "Just a minute ago you were someone I didn't even know existed and now you're back to your bitchy self again. What's with you, Billie?"

"What's with me?" Billie retorted, shocked that he had actually figured her out. She was running out of excuses. Laughing cynically, she said, "That's none of your damn business."

Van stood, fed up with her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spun Billie around, pinning her against the counter, and placed his arms to either side of her body, trapping her where she stood. He wasn't going to let her run anymore. "Well, it's become my damn business. I'm not letting you treat me like shit anymore without a good reason. So tell me, Billie, what's up with you?" He let the words sink in as she stared up at him with surprised blue eyes. There was something about catching Billie off guard that gave Van a rush. Only on a few occasions had he ever managed to do it, and this was one of them. Maybe now he'd get the answer he was looking for. Maybe now she'd finally open up to him and let him in to her secret little world.

Billie's mouth became a thin, straight line and her eyes narrowed as the anger coursed through her body. "I'm your boss, VAN! I can treat you however the hell I want, without you questioning me!" she yelled, violently pushing him away.

Van drew back, knowing he had lost this round, and fearing that he pushed her farther back with his impatience. He walked out of the kitchen, leaving Billie to her thoughts. There was no need to make her any angrier than she already was. Letting her simmer down was the only way he'd get her to open it. Next time, he'd try another approach, one that was far more subtle than this one had been.

* * *

And so, we have finally returned to Aspen! Happy Turkey Day everyone! This is my gift to you on this wonderful day full of food and thanks. I give my thanks to all you wonderful readers and reviewers. You have really inspired me to write this wonderful story, and I can't thank you enough for keeping me going.

prplerayne: LOL! That was a good line, wasn't it? But you're right, if Deaq only knew. There's plenty still left in store for him in the following chapters. He's definitely gonna find out what it's REALLY like to be Billie. It's not all fun and games and a nice cozy chair in the middle of the Candy Store. I think he might just recant that some time soon. We'll see... :)

Avillie: Yes, we got back to Van and Billie in their half naked states. :D I hope that put a smile on your face today. I didn't mean to torture you and everyone else for so long, it's just that sometimes there are things I need to write before I can get to others. And I couldn't help by say "Awww!" to that last little comment you made in your review. Thank you! I'll be sure to give thanks to you and all everyone else for sticking with me. Thank you!

ackeberlynn: Oh, wow, really! It's one of the best you've read? Thanks for the confidence boost! I really needed it! I never thought I'd hear anyone say that. Hehe. Yeah, shows you how insecure I am. Thank you, though. I really REALLY appreciate it. :D

Francesca: There you go! More coming soon! Glad you liked it! Thank you!

fan4fastln: Life is definitely hectic. I totally understand. I just worry sometimes, actually, a lot of the time. I have this concern for people that I just can't help. Anyway, I'm glad I surprised you with a few things that you weren't expecting. There is definitely a lot in store for all three, especially for Van and Billie. You won't believe what's coming up for those two. Just be prepared to pop your eyeballs back into your head. I'm just hoping that I've made the lead up good enough to it. Great, there go the insecurities again! Ack! I can never stop worrying how things will work out in this fic. I just hope it makes sense by the time it's finished.

Shalimar1: That review really did help me a LOT! I didn't realize I had become so redundant in that last chapter. I guess I'll have to go back and edit it before I post it on my own website. I'm also glad I've got you thinking. You've made some really good comments and questions about lots of things. There is definitely a really good reason why Billie has drunk herself into a corner. I have yet to reveal her deepest, darkest secret, so just hold on for a little while longer. It's coming. There's still a LOT you don't know about her. Okay, I think I've been cryptic enough for today. Thanks for liking the story so much! It's a real confidence boost when someone tells me they can actually see this as a real episode. Thank you!

And, of course, the Unsigned: YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME TOO! THANK YOU AND HAVE A VERY HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Okay, now that I've got those out of the way, I might as well make a few shameless plugs for my other stories here: Family Feud (which I've co-written with prplerayne, who is also an AMAZING author!), Crash And Burn, and Allegory of the Club. If you all get bored today after reading this update, feel free towander over to those fics and take a look. Also, if you get a chance, check out Drunken Desires by prplerayne. I love that story! It's great! Totally amazing!

I'm done now. More story coming soon! HAPPY TURKEY DAY!


	13. Deaq’s Hotel Room…

_Deaq's Hotel Room… _

Deaq hadn't even settled into the Presidential Suite at the St. Regis, and already the place had been turned into a command post for his operation. Laptop monitors, recording equipment, surveillance cameras, speakers, microphones, and God knew what else had been set up on every available hard surface, all generously provided by the Aspen PD. Several of their officers were standing there with him, helping set everything up, all the while he stared at the little dot on the screen which indicated where the shipment of weapons had gone. Deaq still lacked the address, which was why all the computers and equipment were being set up. It was the only clue he had to Van and Billie's whereabouts. He refused to believe Drayden and his men had caught and killed them.

Just saying the words "Officers in danger," over the phone to the chief of police in Aspen had gotten him access to everything he could ever ask for. Deaq was glad to see that they were just as concerned about this bust as he and his partners had been. But now that they were missing, everything had just seemed to become more important.

Earlier, Deaq had gotten access to Van and Billie's hotel room a few floors down. He'd searched through everything in the place, including the laptop he'd found on the bed. In the Internet History folder, he'd found the directions to the warehouse, which was the first place he'd sent several officers.

Three uniformed men entered the room, their solemn faces telling all he needed to know. "Detective Hayes," one of the older officers approached him where he sat at his command post, the converted desk at the east side of the room beside the large picturesque window which showed the sun's rays appearing through thick dark clouds over the horizon. "We're sorry to report your partners aren't at the warehouse. We found several dozen shell casing, which CSI is processing right now to see if they can find out anything more about what happened. We also discovered the body of a male, shot in the chest, that didn't match the description of Officer Ray. Outside the warehouse we discovered a pool of blood beside what appears to be the imprint of a body in the snow."

"That's where Van fell on top of Billie," Deaq interrupted, not wanting to relive what he saw from that small camera before it went out.

"Beside the imprint we found two sets of footprints and more blood drops leading into the forest. We've sent search dogs in to see if they could pick up the scent, but as of right now, they haven't found anything yet," the officer continued.

"Alright, well, just come back when you have something," Deaq dismissed him and the other two without much thought. He absent mindedly stared at the computer screens thinking about what Van and Billie were doing right now, and hoping that they'd found a place to sleep. It didn't take a genius to figure out a storm was coming. That was another problem he'd have to think about. How was he going to get a search party out there if the Weather Channel was predicting a foot of snow in the next few hours?

"Detective Hayes," one of the plain clothes officers, a man by the name of Doug Johnson, helping set up the equipment in his room knocked him out of his train of thought. Deaq looked up at him. "It's ready." The man pointed to the computer screens showing all sorts of data: weather maps, the city grid, maps for the ski trails, an outline of the entire countryside, and a map with the coordinates Deaq had found on the laptop computer in his partners' room.

"Great, thanks," he replied, rolling his chair up to the desk and beginning his search for the location of where the gun shipment had finally ended up. He knew it was still in Aspen. The map coordinates the locator spit out were local. All he needed was an address. It was as simple as plugging in the numbers into the map search program and allowing it to pinpoint where they were.

"Bingo!" Deaq shouted as he pointed to the location, a heavily wooded area just on the outskirts of town. He couldn't have been happier; he was a step closer to finding Van and Billie. Turning to the officer that was standing beside him, he asked, "Where is this place?"

"That would be Château De La Mon," Johnson answered knowingly.

"Where the hell is it?" Deaq was already out of his seat by now, grabbing his crutches and making his way to the door.

"Detective Hayes!" Johnson tried to call out to his temporary recruit. He ran after him, and since he had two good legs, managed to get in between him and the door. Deaq gave him a murderous look, his eyes narrowing at the white boy standing in front of him. Johnson knew what he was thinking, and quickly added, "I know you want to swoop in and raid this place, but we have to tread softly. You said this Abney guy was armed and dangerous. Why don't we call in SWAT and have them take it down?"

The look on Deaq's face didn't go away completely, but it did manage to soften. The man had a point. He was in no shape to run in there and take down Abney himself. It was better if he just got a crack at him once he was in custody. Just thinking about what he'd do to the man in the interrogation room put a smile on Deaq's face. He hobbled back to his command post and sat down in the comfortable chair, staring at the many screens once more.

"Can I at least watch it?" Deaq asked, glancing over at Johnson from the corner of his eye.

"Of course," the officer obliged. "We'll install a helmet cam on one of the team members."

"Cool," Deaq replied, finally able to loosen up just a bit even though his mind was racing a mile a minute. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on with his partner and his boss. They were alive, he had no doubts about that, but with Van shot and bleeding, he didn't know just how alive, and that's what scared him.

* * *

Oh, wow... I wasn't expecting to be able to update this early... Yeah, I consider this to be an early update. I usually never have time for these on a Monday, but here I am! Anyway, I'm so glad you all like that last chapter. :) I'm very relieved. Next chapter... It's gonna be a doozie!

prplerayne: You and shirtless Van... I don't know what else to say because you know what I'm thinking and I know what you're thinking. We're on the same wavelength, remember? Hehehehe... Glad to see I wasn't the only one to get wasted over the holiday. Remind me to tell you all about that later, because there was plenty of booze at the party I went to on Friday/Saturday... I still can't believe I'm coherent right now.

Francesca: Dammit! I don't wanna give away that's gonna happen in the next chapter! I soooo badly wanna tell you what's planned, but that wouldn't be nice! Hmm... How can I say this without giving it away. Ummmm... Well, shit's gonna hit the fan. Okay, I think that's crypitc enough. Glad you enjoyed that last chapter. Hope this one was just as good.

Shalimar1: The answers are coming. Next update, you'll see what I'm talking about, I wish I could tell you more, but like I said, I don't wanna give it away because it's just that big. Hehe, and here's the answer to what Deaq's doing at the moment. So glad you liked that last update. And thanks again for the help.

basketgirl: Thanks for the review! I hope you liked this update as well.

fan4fastln: Ah, my favorite critic. I'm glad you're beginning to enjoy the Van/Billie thing I got going on in this story. It's always been a fascinating thing to watch those two in the show. I always felt there was some tension between them, just how much I could never really figure out, especially since they cut it after one season. But I'm not gonna talk about that... Anyway, I hope you liked this last update. I'm just a little worried about next update where many things are revealed... Just a warning... Brace yourself. And please stick with me to the end of this. It's so very close to done. I predict another few chapters and it should be over. But thank you for being the one who challenges me in my writing. I wanna make this story believiable, especially for those that never really thought Van and Billie would get togehter.

Avillie: Sorry if I was being a pest earlier. I was just really wondering what you thought about the last chapter because you've been really bugging me about what was going to happen between Van and Billie. Well, there's a whole lot more planned for those two in the next update. I'm hoping to get it finished soon because I really want to post it! Hope you like this update, though. I can't wait for your next update. That should be very interesting. You really had me at the edge of my seat!

agenttanya: LoL! I was hoping somoene would say that! Especially after the first half of the chapter where things really got heated. But I'm not done with those two yet. They still got plenty more to deal with, especially Billie. More shocking secrets will be revealed in the next update.

The Unsigned: YOU ARE AWESOME! Please keep reading!

Sorry for torturing you all with vague comments about the next update. I know you're dying to find out what happens next. Get ready to be shocked... That's about all I can say. Please review! Your comments REALLY get me inspired! Luv y'all!

Stay tuned! More story coming soon!


	14. The Cabin Right Now…

_The Cabin Right Now… _

In the kitchen, Billie stood near the stove, her arms stretched out and grabbing the edges of the marble countertop as she took in several shaky breaths. The confrontation she just had with Van almost took her to the edge of her sanity. She needed a drink. It seemed that as of late, alcohol was the one thing that she turned to when things got to a point where she couldn't handle them. But alcohol wouldn't solve any of her problems. It was just another addiction she needed to wean herself off of, like the heroine. Billie knew she needed to face this head on, and not leave it to fester like she had with a few things that went wrong in her life.

Van was right; she'd been acting unlike herself, and in order for her to make him believe she was fine, Billie needed to clear her mind and get a few things off her chest before she could face him again. Her thoughts drifted back to that night five years ago, and the partner she lost. It was time to re-examine the events that had scarred her heart and left her unable to feel except in the worst of situations. Before heading down memory lane, she grabbed a bottle of wine out of the fridge, popping the cork and taking a big swig straight from the bottle.

Flashes of each and every moment ran through Billie's mind like a movie. She took a deep breath as everything flooded back to her. Tears of a past riddled with pain and lost love began to fall from her eyes and down her cheeks, landing on the counter. Billie held back the sobs threatening to escape her lips by placing her hand over her mouth, but that didn't stop the tears that continued to fall. Hoping to divert some of her attention, she took another swig of wine, gulping down nearly a quarter of the bottle this time. There was too much to cope with, and absolutely no therapist, no doctor she had seen could help her through it all. That's why she chose to lock it up and hide it from the world, preferring to be alone in her pain and drown it out with her several addictions. They kept her from feeling when she needed to. It was no wonder Van had called her a heartless bitch. Billie knew it was the truth. Keeping everyone at an arm's length kept her from getting hurt again, but it also meant hurting those that cared about her.

In the living room, Van plopped down on the couch, throwing his feet onto the coffee table as the anger he felt towards Billie began to dissipate and he realized how big a mistake he actually made by pushing her to tell him things she obviously wasn't ready to tell anyone yet. After staring at the crackling fire for a few minutes, he finally got up and went back to the kitchen, hoping that she'd accept his apology for being such an ass.

When he entered the small room, the first thing Van noticed was Billie's back turned towards him and her violently shaking shoulders, with one hand grabbing the edge of the marble countertop for support while the other held a bottle of wine. He could tell she was crying. Something was bothering her yet again. He'd begun to realize that the only times she drank were when she was angry and when there was something weighing on her shoulders. But exactly what those things were, he still hadn't figured out yet.

"Billie?" Van softly asked as he slowly approached her with caution, fearing another outburst was in store.

"Leave me alone, Van," Billie murmured, taking a step away from him. She retreated farther back into the kitchen, as far away as was physically possible. Billie hated being seen vulnerable. It was bad enough Van saw her cry when her best friend, Alexa, died. She didn't need him to see her now, on the verge of a total breakdown.

No matter how far Billie moved back, Van followed her. When they reached the back wall of the kitchen and couldn't go any farther, Billie slid down the corner and curled up into a little ball. Maybe if she tried to make herself as small as possible, he'd go away, she thought. But Van got down on his knees right beside her and waited. With a shaky hand, she wiped away her tears even though more would take their place.

_When you try your best but you don't succeed  
__When you get what you want but not what you need  
__When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
__Stuck in reverse _

Van put a hand on her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, Billie. I didn't mean to be so harsh and demanding." He knew the reason for her sudden outpouring of emotion wasn't his fault, but it was a good way to try and break the ice between them.

Billie wiped away a few more tears, still unable to look at him as she replied, "This has nothing to do with you."

_And the tears come streaming down your face  
__When you lose something you can't replace  
__When you love someone but it goes to waste  
__Could it be worse? _

Finally, the confirmation Van had been looking for. He needed to tread softly if he was hoping to get anything out of her and maybe see why she was so broken up. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked, using his thumb to wipe away a couple of tears that had made their way to her chin. Maybe a little affection was all she needed. He'd try anything and everything to get her to open up.

"No," Billie stubbornly answered, but her mind was telling her this was the only chance she had to get things out in the open, and maybe make right of something. Hesitantly, she finally changed her answer and replied, "Yes." After a short pause, she added, "Just don't say anything until I'm finished."

_Lights will guide you home  
__And ignite your bones  
__And I will try to fix you _

"I promise I won't say a word," Van affirmed. He sat back on his heels, but not before taking her hand and holding it to show her he was being serious. There was nothing Van wanted more than to help her through whatever she was keeping locked inside.

_And high up above or down below  
__When you're too in love to let it go  
__But if you never try you'll never know  
__Just what you're worth _

"Five years ago, while I was working undercover, I had a partner. His name was Adrian." Just mentioning the name made Billie's voice crack, but she continued on. "He and I… We were… inseparable from the day we met. We became fast friends, and soon that friendship turned into something more… I fell in love with him, so deeply in love that I knew down to the very depths of my soul, we were meant to be together… And he felt the same way about me. He always used to make me feel so special. It was the little things he did, like cooking me dinner after a long day or giving me a massage while we were doing surveillance on a suspect or," she chuckled, remembering the beautiful flower arrangement from at the restaurant, "sending me white lilies at the office. He was the only man that I ever gave my heart to… We were together for over a year. We were even talking about getting married and starting a family. But we never got that far with our relationship…" Billie stopped suddenly, the overwhelming pain of what she was about to tell Van consuming her. She broke out into sobs, not wanting to continue, but he managed to pull her back with the soft touch of his hand on her cheek lifting her face so they were eye to eye.

_Lights will guide you home  
__And ignite your bones  
__And I will try to fix you _

"Its okay, Billie," he told her, wiping the tears from her face. Van took her hand again and squeezed it.

Billie nodded, using the sleeve of her shirt to wipe her nose, not caring what he thought about it. "One night, we were taking down this drug dealer. It was supposed to be a simple bust, grab the guy and bring him in as soon as he made the deal. But nothing was easy that night. Somehow, he found out we were cops, and as soon as we met him, all hell broke loose. Adrian and I were caught in the middle of a shootout. We somehow managed to hide behind a building as the dealer and his crew shot at us from all angles while we waited for backup to arrive. They were getting closer, no matter how many people we shot, and we had to move if we were going to get out alive. There was another building to our right, so Adrian told me he'd cover me, that everything would be okay, and as soon as I got to the next building, I needed to cover him. I made it across safely while he shot a few more of the dealer's men, leaving only him and his wingman. But when it came to Adrian crossing that gap between the buildings…" Billie trailed off, sniffling and wiping her tears. This was going to be tough, but Van squeezed her hand again, showing her that it was going to be okay. "The dealer's wingman saw what he was trying to do, and before I could swing my arm and try to get a shot off, he had already done so… The bullet hit Adrian in the chest… He wasn't wearing a vest that night. I told him to wear one, begged him, but he refused to because he thought it would show through his shirt. My mind went crazy and I began to shoot at the suspects until they both went down. Once they were out of the picture, I went over to Adrian to see if he was okay."

Billie stopped again, more sobs escaping her lips as she buried her face in her knees. Van edged himself a little closer to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She let her head fall against his chest, unable to hold back any longer.

_Tears stream down your face  
__When you lose something you cannot replace  
__Tears stream down your face  
__And I... _

"I tried to save him… tried to keep the blood from rushing through the hole in his chest… but I couldn't stop it. I couldn't help him. I couldn't save him. He died in my arms. I didn't even get to tell him how much I loved him," Billie wailed. She started to cough, her tears choking her. Van held her as she continued to cry. Never in his life had he seen Billie so broken up. Even when Alexa died, she hadn't been this emotional. So this was the reason why she kept to herself. This was the reason why she was so cold and distant. This was the reason why she had done heroine then moved on to alcohol. They kept her from remembering it, feeling the pain of it all. Now he knew why she became angry every time he got close to a mark. It was all about her and her reasons for staying away.

_Tears stream down your face  
__I promise you I will learn from my mistakes  
__Tears stream down your face  
__And I... _

"Last night, I thought I was going to lose you like I lost Adrian. It was like being back at that warehouse with that drug dealer," Billie continued to weep. It might have felt good to finally get everything to do with her former lover out in the open, but now she was faced with picking up the pieces and starting all over again. It meant she had to move on. It also meant she needed to face the other feelings that had been suddenly bombarding her whenever she and Van were in the same room together. "I couldn't stand the thought of you dying in my arms without ever telling you how sorry I was for many of the things I've said and done to you. I didn't want to push you away like I have been, it's just that I was afraid if I got too close, I'd end up getting hurt again. It seems that every time I do get close to someone, I lose them. I don't want that to be the case with you." She paused for a few moments, her hand tracing leisurely circles against his chest. Her mind was somewhere else yet again, except this time she was contemplating what to say next.

Van gently lifted her chin with his hand so their eyes met. Hers were bright red from all that crying, but surprised from such a bold move. "Are you trying to tell me something, Billie?" he asked, figuring she was taking this conversation somewhere.

Billie looked down again, unable to meet his intense gaze. If she kept staring into those grey green pools, she knew she'd lose her composure and possibly blurt out everything that was on her mind. It was as if Van's gaze had a way of unearthing all her secrets. Maybe that's why she tried to push him as much as she could. Had they been forced to spend more time like this together, he'd probably know everything about her by now.

"Billie?" Van questioned once more, lifting her chin again.

Those intense eyes were shining on hers. Billie didn't know how much more she could take. They stared at each other for a full minute before her resolve finally cracked. Without warning, she blurted, "I love you, Van."

Billie gasped, her hand immediately flying over her mouth before she said anything else. It seemed to have a mind of its own. She was shocked, unable to believe she could ever make that kind of admission out loud. Billie quickly stood up and bolted for the door, cursing herself for getting so emotional and careless. Now all she wanted to do was run away and hide under a rock for the rest of her life. How could she have told him she loved him? It made no sense to her, but somehow, she had admitted it, and now it was going to bite her in the ass like everything else.

Before Billie ever reached the door, Van had already positioned himself in front of it, catching her in his arms. Her nuclear meltdown had just reached critical mass, and it was all downhill from there. He held her tight against his chest as she struggled to free herself from his grasp, but she was too weak, and when Billie realized she wasn't going anywhere, she gave up. Her body went limp as her sobs gained strength. Van gently lowered her to the floor, where they sat for the next hour until she cried herself to sleep.

With the utmost delicacy, Van picked Billie up off the floor, carrying her to the couch even though his right shoulder protested. He didn't care about the pain right now. His head was spinning from everything Billie had just admitted to him. It was as if the world had come crashing down, and all he could do was stand back and watch. What she said came as such a shock to him that he sat down on the hardwood floor in front of the fireplace and just stared at her in wide eyed disbelief.

'Wow,' Van thought, going though it again in his mind. 'It all makes sense now. The way she's been acting, the way she's been talking; everything goes back to Adrian.' The biggest revelation, though, had to be Billie's admission of love for him. It was so unexpected, Van thought he might have heard wrong. But she did say it. And it still resonated in his mind like a strange dream. What was he supposed to think, say, or even do now that he knew her deepest, darkest secret?

The subject of love struck a chord in Van's own heart. He had been in love once. Cassidy Shaw stole his heart, and ripped it to pieces, not once but twice. From that point on, he refused to get too close to a mark, even though he did sleep with them when he had to. Blowing one's cover and falling in love were two very separate things he kept far apart ever since Cassidy played him.

But Billie was a completely different story. Van didn't deny the feelings of lust that drifted into his mind the first day they met. She was one hell of a beautiful woman, always dressing in some midriff bearing top or super low cut pants and even the occasional miniskirt. She never ceased to stop catching his attention, no matter what. Yet he said it himself, she was the most beautiful woman he'd never sleep with. It was a comment made in anger, never fully thought out and carelessly thrown into the mix while he'd been talking to Deaq.

Van never really evaluated his feeling towards Billie until she finally put hers out in the open and made him face them. It was hard to say what they were other than lust, annoyance, anger, and sometimes hatred. Deep down, though, something more intense presented itself. Van couldn't put a finger on exactly what it was, and soon became frustrated. He stood up, walking into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. While there, he turned off the stove, which had been running for over an hour now. Searching thought the cabinets, Van found a box of Corn Flakes. They might not have been Lucky Charms but still edible in his book. The fridge only yielded wine and frozen meat, forcing him to eat the stuff dry.

With cereal box in hand, Van returned to the living room and his warm spot beside the fireplace. Pouring a handful into his palm, he began to pick out the larger flakes and eat them as his mind wandered into the realm where few men would ever travel, the land of intense emotions.

'Do I love her?' Van asked himself, popping another dry flake into his mouth. 'Do I even like her?' Questioning his feelings for Billie was a good place to start. 'I care about her, very much, almost too much. But why do I care about her?' Van knew he was treading into dangerous territory. There were several occasions where his concern for Billie's safety and welfare had gone above and beyond what they were supposed to, like when her drug dealing snitch, Shane, ran her off the road and nearly killed her. That was one phone call Van would never forget. The pain and suffering in her voice had been crystal clear. She tried to hide it, but he could easily hear. Van had to admit, stuffing the little bastard into the trunk of their car on the return trip from Mexico had been harsh, but not harsh enough, not after what he put Billie through. It was at that moment Van realized his feelings for his boss had begun to materialize.

The second event which catapulted his feelings into a completely different stratosphere was Billie's incarceration. For three days, Van and Deaq did everything in their power to get her name cleared. He had been scared to death for her, more than ever before. It trumped his own kidnapping. The emotional rollercoaster he'd been put through during that case sent him reeling. What was worse, she had almost gotten killed in a prison fight.

And of course, there was the confrontation between him and Rousseau the other day. That was the peak of his emotions towards his boss. It was the angriest Van had ever become, nearly blowing his cover with that stunt he pulled at the warehouse. He knew it was a stupid move, but all he wanted to do was wipe that smug grin off the bastard's face for what he did to Billie. It definitely sparked something deep within Van's soul, but could it be love? He doubted it, whole heartedly, because the only love he ever really had was for Cassidy. Yet he questioned himself on that as well, sighting several things that quickly changed his mind. Their whole relationship had been based on sex, lies, and money. Looking at it now, Van realized it wasn't love. In his idealistic mind, love revolved around caring, respect, and trust, which is exactly what he had with Billie.

'Okay, so I care about her, I respect her, and I trust her, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm in love with her,' Van tried to convince himself even though he knew he had just opened his own private Pandora's box. 'But that doesn't mean I'm not in love with her.' And he was back at square one again, slowly eating through another handful of Corn Flakes as he stared at her sleeping form on the couch.

Billie appeared so serene as she slept. Her body relaxed, softening her hard features and making her seem like more of the vulnerable woman that she was than she projected herself to be. There was no denying it, Billie was absolutely gorgeous. Van never really had the chance to study her until now, fearing any attention he gave her while they worked would give her the wrong idea. He put the cereal box down and cross the room so he sat beside the couch, his left shoulder pressing against the frame.

The closer Van got, the more he noticed. He realized he loved Billie's heart shaped face. He ran a finger along her jaw, memorizing the smoothness of her skin. It felt like silk against his fingers. Her apple shaped cheeks were the next places his fingers traveled. Van felt a little guilty for what he was doing, but the sensations were quickly mesmerizing him into forgetting all about what Billie might do if she woke up. His thumb crossed her feather soft lips, which were parted in a smile across her face, something he so rarely got to see when she was awake. Her usual look was one of absolute seriousness, and happiness was only reserved for very special occasions. The proverbial icing on top of the cake was her button nose. He thought it was cute when she got angry and it scrunched up, giving her that funny menacing look that didn't really make him cower, even though he knew better.

Van smiled at the thought of Billie getting angry. It was something he had grown accustomed to and learned to expect. Everything else still surprised him, especially everything about that past day. As he continued to stroke her face, his fingers pushed back a stray lock of her dark hair behind her ear. That's when it hit him; the overwhelming feeling of admiration he had for this woman. "Oh, my God," Van whispered. "I do love her." It really was love, and for once, he didn't fear it. He wanted to wake Billie and tell her, make her realize that she wasn't the only one who felt this way. He loved her! He wanted to shout it from the rooftops, at the top of his lungs, and make the whole world take note that Van Ray was in love. But he stayed put, instead deciding to keep quiet and let her sleep. He had time on his side, and this little cottage set the mood perfectly. Besides, Billie needed some sleep. She'd been through enough that day.

Climbing onto the couch beside her, Van wrapped his arms around Billie and held her against his chest. Unconsciously, she snuggled closer to him. It was funny how they had suddenly switched places. He was now the one holding her as she slept, trying to figure out how he'd make her feel better and tell her his own little secret. That would come in time. Right now, his mind fixed on her body and the way it fit so perfectly against his. "I love you, Billie," Van softly whispered into her ear. Brushing away the hair from her neck, he softly placed a kiss on her warm skin. He soon fell asleep, his mind drifting to all the things that lay ahead for them.

* * *

I knew I couldn't torture your guys anymore, so I HAD to post this chapter! I'm afraid now. LoL! I just dropped the shit bomb and now I don't know what many of you will think, and if you'll accept my explanation for what happened. I hope you guys can give me some pointers on how to revise it and make it better, or have it make more sense. I really would appreciate some feedback on this chapter because it was the one I was most excited about posting, in both good ways and bad. 

prplerayne: I hope you liked this chapter! I know you've been waiting for it. Hell, you've been bugging the shit out of me to post it. So, here it is. Your other questions will be answered in the next update, about the helmet cam and Abeny. Hehe, that should be a fun chapter to read because it involves blood and gore and a lil'bit of fighting. LoL! Hope that piqued your interest! But seriously, what are your thoughts on this chapter? Would you change anything? Please let me know.

shalimar: Well, here it is, the chapter I've been hinting about. I hope you like it. Hey, I did post almost the day after you reviewed! Hehe, that's so awesome! Well, what do you think? I really wanna know. Did it make sense? Was it shocking? Please, give me some feedback! I trust you'll pick up on things I managed to miss.

fan4fastln: I'm so scared I just turned you away from this story. But I want to know, what could I do to make it better? What could I do to make it feel like Billie really was falling for Van if you weren't feeling it? I hope you were. Ack! All this worrying is getting to me! I'm just gonna go work on my homework now, so I can take my mind off it.

Avillie: Alright, so this isn't the end, but shit did hit the fan, didn't it? But don't worry, you'll get that grand finale soon. I'm not done with either one of them just yet. There are still a couple of surprises in store for Van and Billie, especially Billie. I think I'm gonna torture her a little more in the chapter after next. As for Abney and Xavier, next update. I think everyone who hates the two of them will enjoy the next update. Deaq's gonna have a lot of fun in the next update. Cryptic enough? Hehe. I hope you liked this update, tho. It's the one I've been hinting about like crazy. I just hope it made sense in the end. What did you think? How would you change it?

Francesca: Okay, I gotta know your thoughts on this last chapter. I know you've been reading the story, now I wanna know what you think of it. Please, I could use all the help I can get.

The Unsigned: Thank you for your continuing support. I hope some of you will review soon, because I'd really like some feedback about how to make this a better story. But even if you don't, I still thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.

Well, that's it for now. I'm gonna go nervously wait in front of the computer for the next few days in hopes of getting some good feedback about the story. (If I'm beginning to sound redundant, I'm really sorry! I'm just so nervous!)

This story is very close to finished. I might have it done before Christmas. Heck, I might have a holiday story done before Christmas. I'll just have to see about that, though. I hope you enjoyed!

Music: "Fix You" Coldplay

More story coming soon!


	15. Drayden’s Aspen Home…

_Drayden's _ _Aspen__ Home… _

The lights were dim, and only the glow from the fireplace illuminated the spacious living room of Abney's Aspen home. He was standing in front of it, his handsome face twisted in anger. Rousseau and another one of his lackeys stood several feet away, watching him in fear. They knew what was on his mind, and what they had to do now to prove themselves.

A glass half filled with brandy rested in Abney's hand as he stared into the red-amber flames in front of him. His face continued to contort in anger until he finally lost it, the glass of brandy flying into the fire and bursting into orange flames as the alcohol burned off.

"You fools!" Abney yelled as his sharp gaze fell upon his minions. "How could you screw up such a simple task? All you had to do was find the two cops and kill them!" He crossed the so fast neither Rousseau nor the man standing beside him could prepare for the knife being shoved in their faces.

Abney grabbed the nameless man's hand, twisting it until it was behind his back and plunging the knife straight through his palm. His blood curdling scream reverberated throughout the spacious room as Rousseau stepped back, praying he'd be spared the same fate.

"Do you see this?" Abney turned to him and asked, twisting the knife deeper through the man's hand until the point poked through the other end, sending a trickle of blood spilling across the marble floor. Rousseau swallowed hard, nodding. "Find the cops and kill them, or you will suffer a fate worse than this." Abney finally pulled the knife out of the other man's hand, splattering blood all over the floor and the Persian run at his feet. "Now go," he dismissed both men without even bothering to look at them. Abney returned to his spot by the fireplace, grabbing a handkerchief out of his pocket to with the blood from his hands.

Rousseau made a hasty retreat as the other man stumbled out of the living room behind him. They ran out of the house to a waiting Hummer and quickly drove off in the direction of the warehouse. "Here, Dmitri," he grumbled, handing the other man a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his cheap suit. "I don't want you bleeding all over my car." He sped off down the empty road, turning onto a gravel path that bypassed any other vehicles they might encounter, including the SWAT truck that was now heading towards the mansion.

The two cars missed each other by seconds as the SWAT team made preparations for what was to happen at Abney's château in the next few minutes. They had orders to surround the place and use deadly force if necessary. Deaq had specifically told them a known terrorist was living there, making it all the more important to take precautions. As soon as the truck approached the closed gates of the mansion, the power was cut, allowing them to enter the premise.

Several miles away at the St. Regis, Deaq was staring intently at the monitors in the nearly dark room, Johnson and the other two men having pulled up chairs behind him and watching also watching as the SWAT team moved into position. It didn't take long for them to surround the mansion and announce their presence with smoke bombs.

Through the live feed, Deaq could see Abney wasn't going down without a fight. He'd probably heard and saw everything, which was why several of his thugs began shooting as SWAT made its way through the mansion. They were quickly neutralized as the team made its way deeper into the house. They found Abney in the living room, his gun drawn, poised to fire.

"Aspen Police; put your gun down!" one of the SWAT team members yelled. But when Abney began to pull on the trigger, one of the other men fired off a shot that hit him square in the upper right arm, forcing him to drop his weapon and fall to the ground.

"Aw, yeah! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!" Deaq shouted at the computer screen as a wide grin crossed his lips.

From that point on, things seemed to happen at light speed. He, Johnson, and the other two cops rushed down to the station in Johnson's squad car. Deaq wanted the first crack at this guy, for obvious reasons. He'd been picturing what he'd do to Abney ever since he screwed over Van and Billie. Inflicting physical pain wasn't going to satisfy him today, even though it would make him feel better. No, he wanted Abney to suffer, and invoking the Patriot Act on his sorry ass was probably the best thing he could think of. After all, the man was linked to some of the biggest terrorist cells in the world, and he'd bought a shipment of weapons from two cops with the intent to sell.

In the harsh lights of the interrogation room where Abney sat with his hands and ankles bound by metal handcuffs and chains, Deaq hobbled in, his leg and arms sore from all the weigh he had to bear on his crutches, but none the less a gleam present in his dark eyes. There were no lawyers present to make sure Abney got treated fairly. It was only the two men in that little darkened room, the rest of the precinct stood outside the viewing mirror to watch the action unfold. They knew who Abney was and why he was there, they just didn't know what Deaq had in store for him. That was the big show they wanted to see.

Abney looked up at him with obvious disdain. Deaq couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. He strode up to Abney, and without warning, slammed his fist into the man's pretty face. The chair he sat in tipped back slightly from the blow but still managed to stay upright. Deaq wiggled his hand in the air for a moment, trying to get the pain to go down. But that didn't matter to him. It felt good after everything that had happened.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that," Deaq said in a low voice as he came face to face with Abney, looking him straight in his fierce blue eyes.

"I thought you treated criminals with a little more respect and dignity. I thought it was innocent until proven guilty. I should sue this department for cruelty," Abney spit back, his eyes darkening as a cocky smile appeared on his bleeding lips.

"See, here's the beauty of the Patriot Act, you no longer have those privileges," Deaq replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "But if you cooperate and tell me what I need to know, I might hold back and not hit you so hard the next time." Abney just stared at him, becoming deftly silent. "Where are Van and Billie?" The man refused to answer. Deaq was beginning to get aggravated. "I'm gonna ask you nicely once more. Where are Van and Billie?" This time Abney turned his head and refused to look at him at all.

"Alright, I see how this is going down," Deaq said as he stood up and grabbed Abney by the hair, pushing his head forward and slamming it against the metal table he was sitting in front of. He slammed it down one more time for good measure, and because it just felt good. "You ready to tell me or should I do it again?" he nearly yelled, holding up Abney's bruised face and forcing him to look in his direction. The man merely spit at him and mumbled something in French.

That was the final nail in his coffin, Deaq thought as he wiped the bloody saliva off his face with his hand. He grabbed Abney's wounded and bleeding arm, twisting it behind him and putting as much pressure on it as he could. Abney cried out in agony as Deaq shouted, "Where are Van and Billie! Tell me right now!"

"Ah! They're as good as dead," Abney screamed back, the pain becoming blinding. Deaq continued to press his arm harder. "Find Xavier Rousseau and you find them." Finally, he let go of the man's arm, but not before slamming his face down against the metal table one more time just because he felt like it. Abney hadn't been put through enough pain in his mind.

Deaq hobbled out of the interrogation room, still angry, frustrated, and most of all afraid. He was afraid because he didn't know whether or not he'd be able to find his partner and his boss in time. As soon as he spotted Johnson, he made his way towards him and said, "I want every available officer out there looking for them. I want a chopper in the air doing a sweep of the area. And I want you to find any trace of Xavier Rousseau here in Aspen. I don't care if it's a piece of paper he use to wipe his ass with. I just want you to find something that might tell me where he is and where he's going."

"Yes, sir," was all the man said before he scurried off towards the front desk.

"Will you stop calling me sir?" Deaq shouted at his back, but Johnson was already too far away to hear him. Slowly sinking into a chair near the interrogation room, Deaq sighed. This was going to be a very long day, he thought, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. He was beginning to have a new found respect for Billie. He never wanted to have to deal with this kind of drama again, let alone over and over again at least a thousand times every month. How could Billie do it and not go crazy? It boggled his mind. Maybe what Van said was true… She was a cold hearted bitch. Or maybe she was just too closed off to realize it. That sounded a little more plausible even though it could go either way.

But just when Deaq thought things couldn't get any worse, the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall turned his attention to the approaching officer.

"Detective Hayes," Johnson called.

"Will you stop calling me that? It's Deaq, okay?"

"Sorry… Deaq," Johnson corrected himself. He cleared his throat before continuing. "There's a snow advisory for the entire area for the next twelve hours. The city has grounded all aircraft, including police helicopters. They're expecting at least a foot of snow to fall within the next hour, even more by the time this thing blows through."

Deaq sighed heavily. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Shit," he said under his breath as his face fell into his hands. "Can anything else go wrong?" he loudly added to no one in particular.

* * *

Hey everybody! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. I really appreciated them. Some really helped me figure a few things out in my story. I'm so relieved that you guys liked that last chapter even tho it did bring up several questions and concerns among a few of you. About the whole drinking thing... I haven't really told you guys who I'm basing Billie's drinking problem on. Well, it's based on what one of my friends went through. He was a binge drinker, and in binge drinking, you don't need it to function all the time, but when you have a trigger for it, you can't cope w/o the alcohol. I'm not gonna go into his trigger because it's a very touchy subject that all my friends including myself are also trying to cope with. But the up side is that he's been sober for 4 months now. :) Anyway, now that I've said that, here's everything else: 

prplerayne: I thought a good shock would be fun... :) I'm glad you enjoyed reading that last chapter. I had a whole lotta fun writing it, especially since I had so much inspiration from everyone. Thanks for your encouraging reviews. They've really helped me write. As for the Billine in anger management thing... LoL! That's pretty funny. I guess she might benefit from some anger management. It wouldn't kill her to be nice every once in a while!

fan4fastln: I'm gonna keep trying, LoL! I'm not one to give up. Maybe next story. But, whatever. We're all entitled to our opinions. But seriously, who would you have paired Van up with? Just wondering... I'm glad you liked that chapter. I was having fun with all the references because it's not a Fastlane story without mentioning something that happened in an episode. And I can't believe you caught the Lucky Charms thing! LoL! That's totally awesome. Hehe.

Avillie: Oh, you have no idea how right you are about things getting worse... I think this chapter just pretty much proved it. The next one will definitely give you a run for your money too. Billie torture like you wouldn't BELIEVE! And yes, they finally see they they have feelings for each other. But Van won't really be able to deal with anything after this chapter, hint... hint... (I'm sooo awful, aren't I?) Hehe, I should be doing my homework right now, too, but I got fed up with it earlier because I really don't like fixing everyone else's crap, especially when I need to use it afterwards... Definitely one of my biggest pet peeves, besides moving the little boxes all over the place in Photoshop... That just drives me up the wall! But I hope I didn't pull you away from your homework for too long with this update. I hope you enjoyed it, though. :)

agenttanya: Yes, finally! But don't be so sure about Van telling Billie anything for a while... Oooohhh... I'm being cryptic again. I gotta stop that. I know it's torture.

FoxyWombat: I was wondering where you got off to! I was gonna ask, but shit happened and I had to rush through reviews without saying much. Sorry 'bout that. Don't wanna make you feel unloved, cuz you're not! I'm grateful for your reviews. Believe me! I'm grateful for everything everyone has given me during this story... INSPIRATION! And you are so right, there won't be a happily ever after when she wakes up later on that day... I love torturing Billie. She so deserves it sometimes.

Terri: Your review had to be one of the most important ones I've gotten so far! Thank you soooo much for pointing out all that medical stuff that I didn't even know to think about. And thank you for taking a look at whatever else I have and seeing how I can make it a little more medically sound. And, yes, everyone's entitled to their soapbox. That's what makes good things better. I'm glad there are people like you out there. I could use all the help I can get! Thank you for reviewing my store! I'm so glad you're liking it.

Shalimar1: I hope you got my reply to your message. I shoulda waited, but I thought what the heck? I just wanna say thanks for bringing up those points, and I'm really glad you liked the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one too.

The Unsigned: I hope you're still reading after that last chapter! And if you are, THANK YOU! You ROCK!

Okay, I got one more question for you guys... Did I get that whole thing about the Patriot Act correct? If not, could you please tell me where I screwed up? I'd love to know, cuz I tried to find info about it online and I kept getting summaries that weren't really clear. I'm not the most politically astute person.

Stay tuned! More story coming soon!


	16. Evening At The Cabin Right Now…

_Evening At The Cabin Right Now… _

Several hours passed before Billie finally regained consciousness. Her mind registered that the sky had turned pitch black and evening had settled once again. She also noticed she wasn't on the floor anymore, but lying on the couch, her back pressed up against her partner's bare chest. Suddenly feeling very uncomfortable after all she'd said earlier that day, Billie tried to pull away, but his tight hold kept her in place. "Van," the strength in her voice came out with that one word. She needed to get his attention so he'd let her go and she could possibly retract all that she had said. "Van," her voice came out clear again, even more strongly than before as she turned around to face him. It was then that she noticed his pale features and the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Billie no longer felt uncomfortable. That terrible fear came back with a vengeance as she pressed her palm to his forehead. Van was burning up. "Oh, God," Billie said as she struggled to remove herself from his grasp. "Van, wake up," she ordered, shaking his shoulder. "Van… VAN! Van, please wake up!" She was getting frantic. Why wasn't he awake? Why was he so warm? What was wrong with him? The questions flooded Billie's mind as she searched for what might have caused him to get so ill in such a short amount of time.

Looking down at the blood soaked bandage covering the wound in his shoulder, Billie realized it had started to bleed again. She sat up and started peeling back the tape and gauze until only the cotton was left. Pulling it free, the full horror of his gunshot wound became clear. Billie turned away, unable to look. It had gotten infected. Returning to her survival skills class and what she'd learned about infections, she remembered that redness, swelling, warmth, and pus were the first symptoms. A fever was the next stage of the infection indicating it had become systemic.

"Oh, fuck," she softly cried. "Why do things just keep getting worse? Why?" Billie felt like crying again. The world seemed to be against her at the moment as her head fell into her hands. She roughly rubbed her eyes with her fingers, forcing herself to stay calm. Being a sobbing mess wasn't going to solve anything, and it wasn't going to help Van.

Billie slowly extricated herself from his grasp. Van coughed slightly as she slid off the armrest of the couch to make her way to the kitchen. The first thing she needed to do was bring down his fever, and since whoever owned this place didn't feel the need to keep any types of over the counter antibiotics or pain killers stocked in the medicine cabinet, she had to fill a large basin with cold water and place a few pieces of fabric in it to soak. The next thing Billie did was turn the burner on under the teapot to warm the tea that was still in it. She soon returned to the living room, leaving the basin on the coffee table and making her way to the hearth to put another log into the fire since it was nearly dead. With a new burst of warmth spreading through the room, she felt confident again.

Ever so gently, Billie lifted Van's head, causing him cough again, and slid her legs beneath it so he was resting in her lap. He took a deep breath, causing her to pause and look down at him as he coughed. His grey green eyes slowly opened and looked up at her in confusion and disorientation. "Hey," she whispered, plastering a smile on her lips so he wouldn't get scared. Van mumbled something she could barely hear and closed his eyes again as he tried to get comfortable. Even turning made him cough. "Don't move around too much," Billie added, placing her cool hand on his forehead.

"Mmm," was his response as he coughed once more. She placed the extra towel in the basin, soaking it thoroughly and wringing it out before placing it on Van's warm forehead. Again, he moaned something incoherent, but relaxed slightly.

The teapot whistled in the kitchen, prompting Billie to pull the cool cloth away and get up. Van protested, not wanting her to leave as he weakly wrapped his left arm around her leg. "I'll be right back, I promise," she whispered, placing a soft kiss on his burning face. He let go and she walked into the kitchen to grab the teapot off the stove. Taking two cups out of the cupboard, Billie poured equal amounts of the hot tea into each and headed back to the living room.

Even though Billie was going to use the vodka on the coffee table to clean out Van's wound, she decided to pour a half shot of it into his tea just to make sure it dulled his pain. Gently, she slid herself back beneath his head and picked up his cup, bring it to his lips. "Drink," Billie softly encouraged, being careful not to tip the cup too much. Van was compliant, sipping the warm drink offered to him. When he'd had his fill, which wasn't much since his coughing would start up again every time he took a sip, she replaced it on the coffee table and grabbed the vodka and towel again. Billie sighed, knowing what she had to do next was going to hurt, no matter how much alcohol she put in Van's drink. The whole bottle wasn't going to dull the pain as soon as she placed that towel on his wound.

'Brace yourself,' Billie thought after having soaked the towel in the vodka. Being gentle wasn't an option; she had to do this fast. In one quick motion, Billie placed the vodka-soaked towel on both sides the gunshot wound and pressed down, eliciting the most gut-wrenching, soul piercing, pain filled scream she'd ever heard come out of Van's mouth. It was worse than the scream she'd heard over the phone when he was kidnapped and that crazy couple tried to cut off his thumb. Tears streamed down his already wet cheeks as he grabbed her arm and held on for dear life. His face twisted in pain as he buried it in her inner thigh.

Instinctively, Billie wrapped her arms around his head and cradled him, whispering soft words of comfort into his ear. Van continued to hold her in his death grip as she felt the first pangs of guilt hit her. She'd hoped she wouldn't have to deal with it again, but after hearing and seeing him cry out, it all came rushing back to her. Now was not the time to try and make amends. Billie needed to end this horrible suffering before Van passed out from the pain. She wiped the wound clean, making sure she'd gotten as much of the pus and debris out of it as she could.

After redressing it with the last of the cotton (which she'd sprinkled with a tiny bit of vodka), gauze and tape, she could feel Van begin to relax. His fingers slowly released their hold of her arm as his head rolled back into her lap. "I'm so sorry," Billie whispered as she tossed the towel onto the floor and placed a soft upside down kiss on his forehead.

She tried to hold back the tears that suddenly sprang to her eyes, but one somehow managed to get past her defenses and rolled down her chin, falling softly onto Van's face. He looked up at her, those grey green eyes locking onto baby blue, and raised his shaking left hand to stroke her cheek. He might have been an incoherent, mumbling mess, but he still knew when she was hurting. Billie felt the tears coming again, but she could barely hold them back this time, and as Van continued to gaze at her, she felt a few more fall down her cheeks, landing on his fingers.

He began to mumble again, but this time she managed to hear one word pass his lips, "Cry." Van smiled up at her as she released once more, allowing herself to cry as his fingers continued to stroke her face. "I'm so sorry," Billie broke down, placing her hand on top of his, holding it against her face as she kissed his fingertips. "Please, don't die," she whispered as she gently ran her fingers through his sweat slicked hair.

Van shook his head to say no then brought his left hand to his neck and the chains she always saw hanging from it. He touched the one with the cross as if to say, "Have faith." Billie nodded in understanding, her fingers lacing with his. They continued to stare at each other until his eyes began to droop.

"Sleep," Billie whispered, still refusing to let go of his hand. She wanted to make sure he knew she'd be there when he woke up, and to reassure herself that he was still with her. Van soon dozed off, allowing her to reach over and grab the towel that was soaking in the cold water. After wringing it out, she gently dabbed it over his forehead and chest, cooling his red hot skin. Billie also reached over and grabbed her own cup of tea, but not before spiking it with vodka. She knew she was going back to her old habits, but right now, she didn't want to feel all the pain; she just wanted to fall asleep.

After having downed most of the cup, Billie slowly eased herself down so she was lying beside her partner, her hand resting on his chest just above his heart so she could feel it beat against her palm. It was the only reassurance she had now that Van was asleep. Her head fell on his left shoulder, snuggling close to the nape of his neck. She could feel the alcohol coursing through her veins, gently lulling her to sleep as well.

It didn't take long for her to nod off. But the dreams that followed would haunt her for a long time to come. They were all about Van, and what it would be like to kiss those velvety soft lips, slow and tender at first, then harder and more passionately as his hands ran over her body, touching places she had longed to be touched again.

Before they could blossom into a full on wet dream, Billie awoke with a start, short of breath. She looked over at Van to see he was still soundly sleeping, but now she felt a burning in her throat that had nothing to do with the alcohol she'd drunk. A fit of coughing erupted from her lungs as well. It suddenly hit her that she was getting sick too.

"Son of a bitch," Billie managed to blurt before she started coughing again. Now was the perfect time to start panicking, but Billie was too caught up trying to stop herself from collapsing a lung to notice. When she finally got her coughing under control, she let out a sigh of relief and lay back down beside Van, who had somehow managed to sleep through the whole thing. Well, at least it meant he didn't have to worry about this now. Billie wrapped her arms around his neck and went back to sleep feeling lethargic and sick. 'This sucks,' was the last thing she could remember thinking about before she was knocked out completely.

* * *

Y'all are LUCKY! I somehow found a pocket of time in my extra busy finals schedule to actually update! Woohoo! Be happy, be VERY happy, cuz I don't know how long its gonna be before I update again. Only a few chapters left before this story is finished. I know, it's said, but there will be another one coming soon. Let's just hope I finish it before Christmas. Anyway, on a side note, there will be an X-rated version of this chapter posted to my website, http/ if any of you are interested. I just don't know when that's gonna happen, so don't check right now. Onto other pressing matters (BTW, gotta make these short)... 

prplerayne: LoL! Yeah, I thought I'd just tap into Deaq's anger in that last chapter. He seriously needed to be assertive, so I wrote it in. Hope you liked this update!

FoxyWombat: I know what you mean... This is definitely the semester from hell for me. Here's more Van/Billie drama that you wanted. Enjoy!

fan4fastln: Well, I guess I'm screwed... I'd better warn you now, the last chapter might be a bit sappy for you, but I hope you stick with it. It's only the last chapter. There's plent more shit that still needs to happen before that. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the last update. I had fun with that chapter. It's nice to give Deaq a little more power.

ackeberlynn: Thank you for the heads up on the Patriot Act! Nice that I actually got it right for a change. I feel the same way about it, tho. Glad you liked the last update.

Avillie: Don't feel guilty! I'm awful when it comes to updating around finals week/holidays. Anyway, I hope this satisfies your need for Van/Billie drama.

The Unsigned: Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it. Sorry to keep you waiting.

As always, please read and review. I thank you for all you wonderful comments and cititcism. Hope you enjoyed this last update!

Stay tuned, more story coming soon!


	17. Rousseau’s Aspen Condo, Morning…

_Rousseau's Aspen Condo, Morning… _

It was morning, and the snowstorm had finally broken, allowing a few rays of sunshine to peek through the clouds and into Rousseau's condo, which sat at the heart of Aspen. He had been staring out the bedroom window ever since he'd awoken that morning. The previous day turned out to be a bust because of the snow. He had high hopes for today because snow plows worked through the night, clearing drifts all over town. It wouldn't be a problem for him and his associate to hop into the Hummer and start searching for the two cops they needed to ice.

The day before, Rousseau had found out about Abney's incarceration through the local news stations, giving him another reason to seek refuge in his home. But with Abney out of the way, and only Van and Billie left in his path, he was almost free to get the hell out of the country and go back to France where his own little endeavor in the black market arms trade could take off. He'd only sucked up to Abney to find out about the trade and all its players. It was wide open now, waiting for someone to take Abney's place.

Rousseau smiled, clasping his hands together and looking out the window on the brand new day. He was almost giddy with excitement, itching to get out there and find those damn cops. They needed to be out of the way for his plan to work; otherwise he'd always be hunted. That just wasn't an option.

"Dmitri!" Rousseau yelled, waking his associate who slept on the couch in the nicely furnished living room. The man slowly began to rise as Rousseau entered the room. "Let's go," he added, grabbing the keys off the table in the hallway and making his way to the door with Dmitri following.

The two men walked down the darkened hallway from Rousseau's condo to the fire exit. It led them straight to the silver Hummer parked in the back of the building. The vehicle was covered in snow, but that was no real problem since it had been made to get through any type of weather or terrain. Rousseau dusted enough of the powdery snow off the windshield before hopping in and turning on the car. They were soon off, the Hummer roaring to life and easily pulling out of the snowy trap. He skillfully maneuvered his way to the main street. With so few other vehicles on the road that morning, it didn't take them long to get out of the city.

Rousseau reached into his coat pocket once they were driving through the countryside and pulled out a small black leather wallet. He flipped it open revealing a replica Aspen PD badge. He'd picked up the copy from another associate so that his plan for today would go over smoothly. They would take the winding road along the river posing as cops looking for two "fugitives." To Rousseau, it was an ingenious idea. Things couldn't get any easier. And once they'd found and taken care of the two cops, he'd take out Dmitri as well. Help wasn't too hard to find. He'd probably just pick up a few new recruits in France. There were plenty of them out there.

Smiling, Rousseau pulled off an exit ramp that led straight to the road he needed. His excitement grew as they reached the first house to the right. It appeared empty, but with a light on in the front room and fresh tire tracks leading out of the garage, he knew someone had to be living there. Rousseau pulled out his fake badge and with Dmitri in tow, strode up to the front door, knocking softly. When no answer came, he knocked again.

After a few more moments of waiting, the door finally opened, revealing an old woman wrapped in a mink coat and high fuzzy boots. "Yes?" she asked, leering at the two men.

"Excuse me, madam. I am Detective Rousseau, Aspen Police Department," he did his best to fake an American accent, but some of his French still came out in the way he pronounced things. "This is my partner, Dmitri. We are looking for two escaped fugitives, a man and a woman. They broke out of prison last night and we believe they may have come this way."

"Haven't seen them," the woman replied in a raspy voice, slightly aggravated by the fact she'd been disturbed from whatever it was she'd been doing.

"Thank you for your time," Rousseau politely replied before she slammed the door in his face. He shrugged it off and they got back into the Hummer a few moments later, heading towards the next residence in hopes of finding who they were looking for.

A few properties down, Billie was just barely waking. Her stomach felt as if it were tied in knots, and her throat burned hotter than the fire in the hearth. Spells of dizziness kept her from opening her eyes for long periods of time. The fever that ravaged her body was the worst. One moment she felt like she was freezing while the next she felt like she was burning up. This had to have been the worst illness she'd come down with since high school. She groaned in pain, her brain feeling as if it would ooze out of her ears from the headache that thumped through it.

This was definitely one of those times where she wouldn't mind someone putting a bullet in her skull, anything to get rid of this awful pain. Billie didn't think she could handle it anymore until she gazed at her partner sleeping beside her. Van had become even paler since she last saw him. Her fingers immediately searched for the pulse point in his neck, which was beating a little too hard for her liking.

"Van," Billie whispered, her voice coming out deep and raspy.

"Mom, no, five more minutes," he mumbled deliriously, turning his head to the side as he coughed.

"Van, you have to wake up," she said, stroking his hot forehead with her hand. Billie sat up, instantly regretting it. It felt like the contents of her stomach would spill out if she moved around anymore than she needed to. This was worse than waking up with a hangover, she thought.

"Billie?" Van finally opened his bleary eyes and stared at her, dazed and confused. "Where am I? I wanna go home," he moaned.

"Shh, calm down," Billie whispered, her heart leaping into her throat. "We'll go home soon." She tried to sound reassuring even though she knew after three days of being stuck in this cabin and no one coming by, there was a very slim chance they were ever going to be rescued. The only thing Billie could do now was try and make Van as comfortable as possible. If either one of them got any worse, she knew the only way to end this was to put them both out of their misery. It was a prospect she didn't want to think about even thought it was becoming even more of a possibility.

"Billie, it hurts," Van panted, his left hand coming to rest near his right shoulder as a cough escaped his lips.

"I know it hurts," she told him, taking his hand and holding it in hers. Billie hated seeing him so weak. It made her feel the weight of the situation even more. There was nothing she could do to make him feel better. All she could do was lay there with Van and comfort him for as long as possible. With hope of rescue quickly fading, Billie curled up beside her partner and gently kissed the top of his hand.

But the sound of a car pulling into the driveway quickly snapped her out of her desperation. Billie shot up, the sick feeling throughout her body forgotten. Was this it? Were they about to find salvation? She didn't know, and quickly made her way off the couch and to the window where she saw a silver Hummer pull up the long driveway and park a few meters from the door.

When the car door opened, Billie gasped. "Shit," was the first word out of her mouth when she realized it was Rousseau. She ran back to the couch, wrapping her arm around Van's waist and pulling him up off the cushions. "Come on," she told him. "We need to hide." He looked at her dumbly for a moment, unable to understand what she was talking about.

Moving Van was proving to be tougher than she thought. Billie struggled with his dead weight. This wasn't how it had been when she brought him here three days ago. Then again, she hadn't been sick three days ago either. The panic finally started to set in when she heard a knock at the door.

Billie was behind the couch now. She laid Van down against the armrest hoping that it provided him enough protection for whatever was to come. Returning to the coffee table, she grabbed her switchblade and both of their guns, placing Van's down on the ground beside his listless body. It was her backup just in case a shootout ensued and she ran out of bullets.

The knocking continued at the door. Rousseau knew someone was in there; they were just refusing to open the door. He motioned for Dmitri to peek through the window and find out if his assumption was correct. He'd seen the smoke from the chimney from the road and now that he was closer, he saw the fire flickering through the windows.

Dmitri slowly peered into the house and saw a woman standing in the middle of the room, a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. He immediately pulled out his piece and nodded to Rousseau that they'd found what they were looking for.

"Billie, I know you're in there!" Rousseau taunted as he grabbed his gun from the waistband of his pants and positioned himself to knock down the door and come in shooting.

Billie looked up, ready for whatever he had to throw at her. She'd slinked her way to the right side of the door where she could get out of the line of fire just in case Rousseau had any wild things planned for her. Moments later, she heard a loud crash and the door nearly swung off its hinges. Gunfire erupted from the doorway as Rousseau rushed in, guns blazing.

Without hesitating, Billie raised her own gun over her head and as soon as she'd positioned herself behind Rousseau, dropped it on his skull as hard as she could. The force was enough to send him to his knees and knock him out. She sighed in relief, but soon felt a cold piece of metal jab her right shoulder. Billie turned around slowly with her hands in the air and still holding her weapons, coming face to face with another one of Abney's henchmen. He was a tall Russian man with burley features and a crooked nose. His muddy brown eyes and scowl told her he meant business.

But Billie wasn't about to be intimidated by this man. She had other plans. Stepping back just enough so she was an arm's length away from the man, she kicked up as hard as she could with her left foot, knocking the gun out of his hand just as he fired off a shot. It hit the ceiling, the bullet throwing paint chips and pieces of plaster all over the floor. She pointed her own gun at him and managed to hit his left arm.

"Ahhh!" Dmitri cried out, grabbing his arm in pain. He quickly looked up at her, anger present on his already ugly face. "You bitch!" he yelled, lunging for her.

Billie sidestepped him before he could tackle her and Dmitri ended up falling into the couch instead. Undeterred, he turned around and tried to lunge at her again, but Billie continued to fend off his attacks. His body barreled around the living room, bumping into all sorts of things the angrier he got. She just moved out of the way every time he tried to take her down. But Billie was quickly tiring out. Her sickened body couldn't take all the moving around anymore. Sweat poured off her forehead as she started to sway slightly every time she moved out of the burly man's path.

Quickly taking notice, Dmitri made one more pass at her, and this time he succeeded in knocking Billie to the ground with a hard punch to the stomach. Her gun and her switchblade flew to either side of her head as the world began to spin. For a moment, Billie began to wonder if this was really the end, but instinct told her to keep fighting. Van needed her to fight. He needed her to live.

With Dmitri's hands slowly closing around her throat, Billie found her second wind. She started to dig her nails into his skin, but realized even if she drew blood, he wouldn't let go until she was unconscious or dead. Instead, she began to feel around for something, anything, to use as a weapon. Her fingers finally hit the handle of her switchblade, wrapped around it and sunk it into her attacker's neck. Dmitri's muddy brown eyes went wide before his body slumped on top of her.

Being pinned beneath the two hundred pound Russian wasn't something Billie liked. She quickly rolled him off, relieved that her ordeal was over. Standing up, she took a deep breath and looked towards the couch where her partner lay still hidden.

Van heard everything that happened, and even though he was near death, his survival instincts had kicked in. The weak fingers of his left hand wrapped around the gun Billie had left beside him, getting ready to shoot at anyone who came his way. When all the commotion between Billie and Dmitri ended, he relaxed and looked over the armrest to see her standing in the middle of the living room, his dead body on the floor at her feet. But what she failed to notice was Rousseau's slowly rising form behind her. A sinister smile came across his face as he raised his gun and pointed it at her back.

Lifting his own gun with his violently shaking hand, Van used the armrest of the couch to steady himself as he pointed and got ready to fire. Billie stared at him for a stunned moment before she realized what was going on. She turned around and saw who Van was pointing his gun at. Her eyes closed, the world around her slowing as she waited for someone to shoot. The image of Van's hand touching the cross that hung from his neck came to mind. "Have faith." The words echoed through her head as a shot rang out.

* * *

OMG! Another update! OMG! A cliffhanger! I bet that's killing you right now, isn't it? Hehe. Yeah, I somehow managed to find another pocket of free time before my final this afternoon to update. I'm so glad! Hey, maybe this story will be finished before Christmas! If I keep finding time, it just might! WooHoo! Anyway (gotta make these short again, so sorry!)...

prplerayne: Yes, Billie has a heart! I loved writing that last update. It was just so sweet and powerful at the same time. You know how much I love writing this kind of stuff. And I know how much you love reading it. Remember, we feed off each other's energy! We're vampires, LoL! Yeah, okay...I'm glad you enjoyed the last update so much. Hope you liked this one too.

fan4fastln: I'm SHOCKED! LoL! Yeah, I definitely got a little surprised when I read that you actually like the Van/Billie relationship in this chapter. And, no, you're not sick. I love seeing Van suffer too. That's why I like to write these kinds of fics. Hehe, I must be sick too! Ah, whatever. I hope this last update was good too. Sorry to leave you hanging. I'll hopefully update soon.

Shalimar: Aww, I loved that too! There were just so many little elements that I had to put into this chapter to really make it good. Glad you got that one. I think it was real sweet too. Hope this last update intrigued you too.

seriousfastlane: Hi there! You're new! I'm glad your reading my story. Glad you liked that last update as well. Hope this one was just as good. Thanks for your review!

FoxyWombat: Ah, gotta love the drama. It follows them everywhere, like myself. But mine is needless drama that I should have to be involved in, but get dragged into by family and friends. This is definitely my way of coping with it, writing it! I'm glad you liked the last update. Hope you liked this one too.

The Unsigned (or those that have been too busy to be able to review): Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it!

I know y'all hate me for leaving you hanging with this update. Shit, I hate myself for leaving it where I did, but crap happens, finals are a bitch, and life goes on. There will be another update soon! I PROMISE!

Oh, and if you're wondering what that web address was from the last update, I'll post it in my profile. I have every intention of getting this story on my website ASAP, so keep checking. If you get bored, feel free to read my other fics. There are PLENTY over there for you to read, especially the XXX kind, hehe.

Season's Greetings!


	18. The Cabin Now…

_The Cabin Now…_

Long moments passed before Billie realized she was still alive and breathing, the bullet having whizzed past her. She immediately opened her eyes and looked to her left where Rousseau had been standing. There was a bullet hole in his chest which both hands covered as blood seeped out profusely. He dropped to his knees, his eyes flicking from Van to Billie before his face finally hit the hardwood floor.

Billie ran over to her partner, kneeling down to catch Van as he slumped over, exhausted. He looked up at her and smiled weakly. "I warned him, if he tried to screw us over, I'd kill him," Van rasped before her broke out in a fit of coughing.

For a moment, Billie thought he was delirious, but one look into Van's muted eyes told her he wasn't. She smiled back at him and reached over to the discarded pile of close that lay less than a meter away and grabbed her parka. She wrapped it around his upper body, being extremely careful with his shoulder. "Come on," Billie said as she helped him to his feet, "We're going home." She led him out the door to the Hummer, which still had the keys in it.

Billie was beyond relieved when she started the engine and it roared to life. The big SUV handled easily, pulling through the snow without much effort down the long winding driveway and onto the main snow covered road. A laugh soon escaped her lips as she pressed down on the gas pedal, not having a clue where she was going.

The long, winding road opened up, and soon signs appeared, telling Billie how to get back on the highway that led to Aspen. She wanted to cry out in sheer joy, but looking at Van and seeing him slowly lose consciousness gave her good reason not to. He needed to get to a hospital fast. Since Billie had no idea where any hospitals were in the area, she headed straight back to the hotel. Her instincts told her to look for a cell phone in the center consol and glove compartment to call ahead for an ambulance, but not finding one, she put her mind and eyes back on the road.

Billie reached over with her right hand and grabbed Van's, squeezing lightly as she said, "We're almost there," the moment they hit the city limits. Forest gave way to posh homes and apartment complexes as Billie floored the accelerator all the way to the hotel.

In the lobby, Deaq sat comfortably on an antique chair sipping a cup of coffee. Having not slept in several days was taking its toll on him, not to mention the awful pain stemming from his broken leg. His hopes of finding Van and Billie had dwindled after crews searching the area around the warehouse found nothing. They were now going door to door to the residences within a five mile radius of the place.

He closed his eyes, inhaling the delicious smell of the wonderful coffee until his ears picked up the commotion coming from the front door. Deaq looked up and saw a woman with dark hair and covered in blood rush through the door screaming for someone to call an ambulance. It took a moment for his mind to register that it was his boss.

"Billie!" Deaq shouted as he stood up, his broken leg completely forgotten as he limped towards her.

Billie heard the familiar voice calling her name and looked sharply in the direction it came from. She immediately saw Deaq hobbling towards her. "Oh, my God, Deaq!" she sighed with relief as she ran to him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders while she buried her face in his soft sweater. They hugged for a while as tears of joy and relief streamed down her face.

Deaq could feel the heat radiating off Billie's body, realizing she was probably running a high fever. He pulled her away and held her at an arm's length, studying her pasty features and seeing the sweat drip from her forehead. She looked like hell, or, better put, like she'd just escaped from hell. Whatever had happened to her and Van the last couple of days probably wasn't good. That's when he realized his partner was nowhere to be found. "Where's Van?" he asked, fearing her answer.

Grabbing his arm, Billie pulled Deaq out the door to the Hummer parked outside. "He's not doing so well," she finally said, opening the door to reveal their partner. Van was unconscious, beads of sweat dripping down his ashen face.

"Damn," Deaq grumbled as he put two fingers to his partner's neck and felt a weak pulse. In the distance, the sound of sirens screaming down the road filtered through the crowd that gathered around the Hummer. He pulled out his badge, which he'd taken from the Candy Store vault after being assigned to desk duty, and shouted, "LAPD! I need you all to back up and make room for the paramedics."

The ambulance quickly pulled up behind the SUV and two paramedics rushed out with their gear, a third walking up a few moments later with a stretcher. "He's been shot and he's sick," Billie instructed, not thinking about her own wellbeing for a second as she watched the two men lift Van out of the car and place him on the stretcher. A fresh set of tears began to stream from her eyes as she watched them work on him. Her legs became weak and she started to waver until finally her body had had enough.

Billie would have dropped, but Deaq's strong arms quickly caught her before she hit the ground. "Hey, I need some help here!" he called to the paramedics. One of them glanced over in his direction and immediately came to help. "Billie, stay with me," Deaq said as he gently lowered her to the pavement. He cradled her in his arms as the paramedic took her temperature.

"She's very sick," the man said, looking at the digital thermometer readout. Deaq gave him a "duh!" look, but he didn't even notice. "Her temperature is almost 103. We need to get her to a hospital immediately."

From behind them, the other paramedic working on Van shouted, "He's going into shock!"

Billie's heart almost stopped. "What?" she frantically asked, trying to claw her way out of Deaq's grasp as he looked up, horrified.

"You and Rich start heading out. I'll stay here with her and radio for another ambulance," the paramedic kneeling beside Billie instructed his partner.

"No," she desperately whispered, her voice beginning to go. "I wanna… I need… to go… with him." She tried to get up again, but both Deaq and the paramedic held her down as the ambulance pulled away from the hotel, its sirens screaming wildly as it raced down the street towards the hospital. "Don't let him die! I love him!" Billie hysterically cried out as sobs overtook her body. She slumped down into Deaq's arms, unable to fight any longer.

He stared at her for a long moment, his brown eyes widening in bewilderment, wondering if she'd actually said what he thought she said. Did Billie Chambers actually admit she was in love? WITH VAN! Deaq thought for a moment that she was probably delirious from the fever. But the sheer fact that Billie was crying like she'd only cried for Alexa made him think otherwise. That was the only time she'd ever cried. 'Holy shit!' Deaq thought, his jaw dropping as he looked down at his boss.

"Whoa, hold up, did you just say you loved him, Van Ray, your employee?" he finally asked out loud, still unable to wrap his mind around it. But Billie was too far gone to be able to answer him. She just stared up at his face, her blue eyes sad and empty. This was no time to be joking with her. A straight answer would do him just fine, but it appeared he wouldn't get one as the sound of more screaming sirens filled the air.

Another ambulance pulled up and two paramedics came rushing towards them before Deaq even got close to an answer. He and the other paramedic that had stayed back to take care of her helped pick up Billie and delicately place her on the stretcher. They raced her to the ambulance and loaded her up with Deaq sitting next to her, holding her hand. He wasn't about to let go. She been through enough, and having someone there just to say things would be okay was the only solace he could give her. Deaq would get the rest of the details about what had happened those last three days after Billie recovered. There was no use in asking questions now. He was just glad that it was all over and Van and Billie were alive.

* * *

It's time to CELEBRATE! My finals are done and over with and I wanna thank you ALL for helping me reach a milestone, 100 reviews! DAMN! That's more than I've gotten with my Witchblade stoires! OMG, I can't be more thankful to you guys. That was way beyond what I was expecting. Thank you soooooo much! 

prplerayne: There's your answer to who shot first and who ended up dead. Thanks for sticking with me through this story. And thanks for being my beta. You rock, chica!

fan4fastln: To tell you the truth, I had most of my design finals done when I posted that last chapter. It was the other finals (science, TEAM) that I was worried about. But science went well... Can't say the same for TEAM cuz we're still trying to finish the first version of our project. I definitely used Dosed as my inspiration for this chapter. Billie had to kick some serious ass, which she did! I'm glad you thought that part about Van thinking Billie was his mom was funny. I just had to put that in there. Well, now you know who shot first. Anyway, thanks for reviewing my story. I really appreciate it.

FoxyWombat: Well, at least the wait is over. Hope that satisfied your craving for another chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Avillie: I'm so glad my story was the highlight of your day! I know all about really bad weeks. Hell, the last two weeks have been a total bitch for me, schoolwise and otherwise. I hope everything is working out well for you. Hope the finals are done and over with. Glad you got your internet back. And did you get those emails I sent you? Just wondering. Thanks for sticking with this story. I really appreciate it.

ackeberlynn: Thanks for reviewing! I appreciate it!

Shalimar: You must be psychic! You knew exactly what I was going to do before I did it. LoL! That's just too funny and too weird. Hehe. I hope this chapter was just as good as the last. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.

The Unsigned: THANK YOU TOO! I don't care if you've reviewed or not, you're important too! Thanks for reading!

Okay, only two chapters left of this story. I know, tear. But don't worry, I've already got an idea for my next fic. Thanks, y'all, for giving me the inspiration to write what I have. You are all wonderful!

More story coming soon!


	19. The Hospital Later That Afternoon…

_The Hospital Later That Afternoon… _

In the dark, quite confines of the private waiting room, Deaq sat with his head in his hands, staring at the floor. His mind was all over the place now that Van and Billie had finally been found. The investigation into what had happened to them in the three days they'd been missing was going full force. Johnson had stopped by earlier with Deaq's crutches, a cup of coffee, and some news into what progress had been made.

Aspen PD and the search team combing the community around the warehouse for Van and Billie had stumbled upon a house just off the west bank of the river with a broken door and two men that had been shot and killed within the last few hours. Before Johnson even told Deaq their names, he'd already said one of them out loud, "Xavier Rousseau." Johnson nodded then went on to explain how the Frenchman had gone about finding his victims. A fake Aspen PD badge had been found on his body, and several neighbors confirmed that two men matching their description had come to their door asking if they'd seen two escaped fugitives in the area. Another resident had reported gunfire near the house.

From that point on, bits and pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Deaq surmised that Van and Billie had run from their captors and somehow managed to find shelter in the house where Rousseau and Abney's other henchmen had been found. They'd stayed there for three days, their conditions slowly deteriorating to the point where they were now. Rousseau used the fake badge to find them, kicking in the door when Billie wouldn't let him in. He opened fire and all hell broke loose. Somehow, Van and Billie managed to take down both men, got into their car, and drove back to the hotel. Beyond that, everything else was uncertain.

The only thing Deaq knew for sure was that his partner and his boss were alive, albeit barely. He sighed, relieved to have seen them no matter how bad they looked. But what would haunt him for the time being was the look on Billie's face and the desperation in her voice as she cried out for Van after they'd taken him away. He'd never seen her so fragile and broken. Even after Alexa's death she hadn't been this emotional. Deaq's heart went out to her, now more than ever as Van lay nearly dying, the doctors doing everything they could to save him. He still wanted to know what had happened in the cabin to make her feel like she'd never been able to feel before. How had she turned from a cold hearted bitch to an emotional train wreck? He'd find out, sooner or later.

The door to the waiting room slowly creaked open and Deaq looked up sharply, his gaze falling on the man in his late 40's possibly early 50's with graying hair and dressed in sea green scrubs that had just walked in. The sullen look on his face told Deaq all he needed to know. "Detective Hayes," the man approached him with his hand outstretched in formal greeting. Deaq didn't stand up, but took the man's hand and shook it. "I'm Dr. Winslow," the doctor finally introduced himself. "I've been taking care of your partners. I have news on their conditions. Lt. Chambers…"

Deaq was quick to cut him off, hating the formality Winslow was using. "Call her Billie; same thing with Van. And please, call me Deaq," he corrected.

"No problem," the man replied, having taken no offense. "Billie," he continued, "will be just fine. She's in the beginning stages of bronchitis, but since we were able to get to her before it progressed, we'll be able to treat her with a course of antibiotics and some rest." Winslow paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before moving on. Deaq knew what he had to say next wasn't going to be good, so he braced himself for the worst. "Van isn't faring so well. He's very sick. We've taken an aggressive course of antibiotic treatment, but the future is still very uncertain. He might pull through or his body might shut down. We just don't know. He's in the OR right now. One of our top surgeons is repairing his shoulder. As soon as he gets out of surgery, he and Billie will be put in isolation."

"Isolation?" Deaq interrupted again, this time alarmed. He'd held Billie for quite some time and was now worried that she might have passed the bug to him as well.

"Don't worry," Winslow reassured him. He looked at Deaq's broken leg and asked, "You're probably already taking antibiotics, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Deaq muttered, unhappy that his doctor had prescribed so damn many pills for him to take until his leg healed. But now he was somewhat relieved that he'd been made to take all those drugs.

"You'll be fine. We have no need to isolate you."

"But when will I get to see them?" Deaq had to know. He'd been away from his partners for too long, and it was beginning to drive him nuts. They were like his second family, and seeing them hurt only served to make him feel worse for not being able to do anything.

"In about three days," Winslow surely answered.

"Thanks, doc," Deaq replied, slumping down into his chair as the doctor left the waiting room quietly. 'Better get comfortable,' he thought. 'This is gonna be a long three days.' Having been awake for three already, Deaq decided it was about time he got some rest. There was no better way to pass time than sleep, and that was his intention for the next eighteen hours; a nice, long nap. He curled up in the chair and was out cold a few minutes later, his exhaustion finally catching up to him.

* * *

Hi everyone! Glad you all liked that last update. I'm in a very giving mood today because I saw one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world yesterday after a 4 month absence. I've really missed him, as have my family and friends. Anyway, there's one more update after this, unless by some miracle, I get possessed to write an epilogue. Don't hold your breath. I still need to finish the Christmas story I'm working on with prplerayne. Anyway, I hope the holidays (and the malls) haven't killed you yet. I hope this update brought some much needed stress relief, even tho I still managed to leave things in the air. Sorry about that. Don't worry, the last chapter will be finished soon! 

prplerayne: It just made sense for Deaq to think that Billie was delerious when she said she loved Van. How else could anyone really explain it unless they were there in that cabin? Hehe... Hopefully your questions will be answered in the next update. But you did make me think about what Deaq would say and if Van and Billie would ever hear the end of it, which is why I brought up an epilogue. Hmm... Many ideas are beginning to float in my mind. We'll see, like I said. Thanks for reviewing, as always!

Francesca: Unfortunately, the next story won't be about Van and Billie, but don't be discouraged, it'll be much more interesting and revolve around a new character I'm working on creating. And this time around, Van's gonna be accused of being shallow. Hehe, hope that gets you wondering what I have planned. Thanks for the review!

fan4fastln: OMG! Bring it on! DAMN! You MUST be in the holiday spirit! It didn't bother you that Billie used the "L" word! WHOA! I had to do a double take when I read that! Holy shit! I'd better crank out this last chapter real quick! Okay, better finish this quick too before I lose my inspiration! Hehe, finals weren't too bad, tho, unless you count my senior project class... Still in deep water with that, but the team is pulling together to get it done before grades are turned in. Wish us luck, because we SERIOUSLY need it! Thanks for the review!

Avillie: Okay, first things first, I WILL NOT KILL VAN OFF! HELL FUCKIN NO! I REFUSE to kill any of the characters unless my own life really sux that much and I just feel like it, which hasn't been in a WHILE! So don't worry, after a weekend like this, I seriously doubt I'll be writing any of those fics. And second, you'll see what I'm planning for the last chapter as soon as I post it. I hope it's done soon cuz I really want you guys to read it! I love what I've outlined and I hope you guys love what I end up with as the final product. Thanks for reviewing! Hope life isn't treating you any worse this holiday season than it already has been.

Shalimar: Awww! You're so welcome! Thanks for catching some of my mistakes and booboos! I really appreciate the wonderful reviews! Thank YOU! Just one more chapter left now before this story is finished. You'll find out what happens between the three of them in the next update. Hope you liked this last one, even tho it left most of you guys wondering what the hell is going to happen in the next update. Hehe, I'm so awful! But don't worry, the chapter should be finished soon! Thanks for reviewing!

The Unsigned: You guys are so wonderful! Thanks for reading my story. I really appreciate it. I hope I'll hear from you guys soon.

Well, that's it for now. Gotta finish the holiday shopping... Humbug... I hope this doesn't turn me into Scrooge. The malls certainly do suck this time of the year... That's why God created valet. Hehe. Happy Holidays everyone!

More story coming soon!


	20. The Hospital Three Days Later…

_The Hospital Three Days Later… _

_I'm taking deep breaths in broken sentences  
__You're seeping in to my darkest defense  
__As we lie in love and silence  
__My whole world becomes see-through  
__And every thought is framed by you _

The soft, slow beeps of a heart monitor were the first sounds Billie heard when she woke up that morning. She was glad to be alive even though her entire body ached with an intensity she could only describe as hellish. Instead of focusing on the pain, her overly drugged mind found another, more important thing to think about: Van. Was he okay? Was he there with her? Where was he?

The last thing Billie remembered was Van being laid out on a stretcher as the paramedics worked on him. After that, everything was a blank. She didn't even know how she got to the hospital. Another ambulance had probably been called to take her there as well.

Slowly, Billie opened her eyes, the harsh fluorescent bulbs nearly blinding her. As her vision adjusted, the details of the room became a little clearer. Stark white walls and an uncomfortable looking chair at the foot of her bed made it clear that Billie was in a hospital room, as did the starchy feeling of the sheets covering her body and the ugly gown she wore. She glanced to her right and found she wasn't alone in this room. The bed beside hers had an occupant, but she couldn't make out any distinctive features except for a head of dark hair that was facing the other direction.

Billie sighed, her tired blue eyes drooping. Going back to sleep was tempting, but she'd already done enough of that. Besides, the pain thumping throughout her body would keep her awake until a doctor or nurse came in with some kind of pain killers. So she laid there, her eyes wandering around the room, hoping her roommate would soon turn towards her.

_Shine like an honest deed  
__Inside my wicked world  
__And I feel alive I'm justified  
__Like an evil act performed for a good cause  
__Shine like a distant sun that's sent to warm this girl  
__And I feel alive I'm simplified  
__Like I was made for you _

Thoughts of Van soon began to resurface. Billie couldn't believe how much she'd discovered about herself during those few nights they'd spent in the cabin. She also couldn't believe she'd admitted that she loved him. It wasn't so unexpected or sudden. That love had been growing ever since he'd helped get her out of that jam with Gavin West. She only wished she could have told him sooner. She wanted to know if her efforts to keep him alive hadn't been in vain. Now, more than ever, she wanted, no _needed_ to see him. Her heart ached for him. He was all she had in this world right now.

As the need to see Van reached its pinnacle, Billie heard the soft creaking of the bed beside hers. Turning her head, she finally got a clear view of the person laying in it. "Van," she barely whispered when she realized the strong features and dark hair came together to form his face. She wanted to jump out of her bed and hop into his, but that was impossible, considering how crappy she felt at the moment. Instead, she settled for watching him as he slept, his body relaxed and comfortable.

Billie was relieved to see he was alive and doing well. He'd scared her on so many occasion, especially their last night in the cabin, which turned out to be an agonizing one for both of them. She pushed those dark thoughts back into the depths of her subconscious, instead focusing on some of the better memories she had, like being cradled in Van's arm as she cried and the touch of his fingers against her cheeks as tears spilled down her face. He had tried to make her feel better even when he wasn't feeling well himself. If it hadn't been for Van, she would have just given up when Dmitri tried to choke her. He was her saving grace.

_Impromptu version of truth  
__And I could live without the world outside of you  
__Cuddled up inside your hands  
__I think I like the girl I am _

There were so many things Billie wanted to say to him. The list she compiled in her mind was already reaching far beyond what she could have expected, and there were still so many more things she had to put on it. Billie could only hope that Van would wake up soon, just so she could tell him everything that was going on in her mind. She was no longer afraid of telling him that she loved him, because she really did, and holding it back would only make the regret of not telling him sooner weigh down on her heart. What she wouldn't give to see those grey green eyes gaze up at her, the smile cross his soft lips, and hear the sound of his voice. "Van," Billie whispered again, her voice coming out hoarse and raspy. She had no intention of waking him, but he did.

"Hmm…" Van groaned, his left hand falling over his face as he tried to hide from the harsh fluorescent lights. Yawning, he finally opened his shining grey green eyes and blankly stared at the bed next to his until he recognized the face of his boss. A smile instantly graced his lips as he gazed in her direction. Billie felt her heart skip a beat with the relief she felt. Van was awake. Oh, how she'd been waiting for this moment.

Billie extended her right hand, wanting to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She wanted to touch him, feel his hand wrap around hers, and when it did, she knew all was right in the world at that very moment. Her smile widened as a tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn't stop it. She was just so happy to see him awake and alive.

Van was relieved as well. He might not have remembered much past the shootout with Rousseau, but he did remember Billie saying that she loved him. He wanted to tell her that he had made that same revelation, but his voice didn't seem to want to cooperate. He could only stare into those beautiful blue pools of her eyes as his thumb traced circles over her hand.

_Shine like an honest deed  
__Inside my wicked world  
__And I feel alive I'm justified  
__Like an evil act performed for a good cause  
__Shine like a distant sun that's sent to warm this girl  
__And I feel alive I'm simplified  
__Like I was made for you _

"I love you," Billie barely whispered as more tears spilled down her cheeks.

Van raised her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss in her palm. Mustering up as much energy as he could, he softly whispered, "I love you, too," his own tears of joy and relief threatening to spill at any moment. He'd never felt this way about anyone, and after an ordeal like that, he just couldn't sit back and let things play out. Van had already dealt with enough regret throughout his life. This was the one thing he wanted to make sure he never would.

Billie couldn't take it anymore. She threw off her covers and ambled towards his bed, never letting go of his hand. Pain or no pain, she needed to be closer to him. Once she was snuggled beneath his blanket, Billie cupped his face in her hands and pulled him towards her and closed her eyes, their lips finally meeting in a long awaited, feather light kiss. She reveled in the softness of Van's lips as they caressed hers for several breathtaking moments until she deepened the kiss, the taste of salty tears invading her mouth. Opening her eyes slightly, she realized they weren't just her own. Van was crying, for the first time she'd ever seen. It amazed her how deep their emotions ran for each other. She never expected to feel this way again, but here she was, totally and completely in love, and with the last man she ever expected to fall for.

_Could I be your addiction?  
__All I want is to be craved  
__I wanna be non fiction  
__But I could never be that brave _

Van was the first to pull away, his need for oxygen becoming urgent. He coughed for a few moments, his throat and lungs burning, but focused on how stupid he felt. He knew he hadn't been able to hold back his tears, and when he saw Billie open her eyes, his first response was to look away, hoping she hadn't seen them. But she held his face in her hands, refusing to let him turn away from her. Her thumbs ran over his cheeks, wiping away the tears, their eyes locking. A smile crossed her lips as she said, "We're both emotional train wrecks."

Van couldn't help but laugh at her comment. "I know, aren't we?" he replied, feeling relieved that she didn't see him as any less of a man. He brushed a few dark strands of hair away from her face and looked deep into her blue eyes.

"Yeah," Billie answered, doing the same. She leaned in and kissed him again, soft and slow, their lips lingering against warm skin. His left arm folded around her body and hugged her close as her head fell against his chest. For the first time in five years, Billie felt whole. She no longer needed to worry about her past catching up to her. It was over, and she was ready to move on. Love had finally found its way back into her heart.

_Shine like an honest deed  
__Inside my wicked world  
__And I feel alive I'm justified  
__Like an evil act performed for a good cause  
__Shine like a distant sun that's sent to warm this girl  
__And I feel alive I'm simplified  
__Like I was made for you _

Billie closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Van's chest, and fell asleep in his warm embrace. She was ready to close the Drayden Abney chapter in her life, and get some well deserved peace and quite. Van soon followed suit, but not before placing a soft kiss on her forehead and tightening his grasp around her waist. He, too, was ready to move on. With all that had happened in the last two weeks, everything in his life just seemed to fall into place. Love was a strange and funny thing, so was Billie, but both seemed to be the perfect additions to a life full of pain, strife, and regret.

Outside in the waiting room, Deaq sat with his leg propped up on a chair, Dr. Winslow explaining everything about their condition to him. The three days had finally come and gone and he would be able to see his partner and his boss for the first time in nearly a week, not counting the hour he'd spent with Billie at the hotel before she'd been rushed to the hospital. This would be the first time they really just got to sit there and enjoy each other's company, even though it would probably only last a few moments before he started to hound them about what happened in the cabin. That question of whether or not Billie had been delirious when she'd said she loved Van had gotten the best of him, and now was the perfect time to find out for sure if she really did (and if he did back).

'Soon,' Deaq told himself once the doctor was finished with his speech. He stood up and hobbled down the hallway towards their room. He was excited to see his partner and his boss, and the closer he got to their door, the more intense the feeling became.

Before wrapping his hand around the doorknob, Deaq thought it would be best to peek inside the room and see if they were still sleeping. When he noticed that one bed was empty, his eyes immediately flew to the second one. He could clearly make out Billie's head buried in Van's chest with his arm wrapped tightly around her as they slept peacefully.

Deaq finally got the answer he'd been looking for and decided to leave the two love birds alone for the time being. He'd hassle them when they woke up. Right now, it was better to just let them have some alone time. He smiled and walked back to the waiting room. The irony of the situation was beginning to dawn on him. Van had, after all, said that Billie was the hottest chick he'd never sleep with. Deaq just shook his head, chuckling at how much things were about to change. Love definitely worked in strange and mysterious ways.

_**FIN!**_

* * *

Music: "Wicked World" by Aneiki 

I'm so sad, yet so happy. My story is finally finished! And what a wonderful journey it's been. This has definitely been an adventure. I enjoyed every minute of it. And I want to thank you all for being so supportive. This is my gift to you this holiday season, so whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, or a variation, it doesn't matter. I hope you enjoyed the journey. I decided not to write an epilogue because it just didn't seem to make any sense after this last chapter. Besides, it was hard finding material to put in it. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. I can't tell you how much I've appreciated them.

prplerayne: I hope that answered all your questions. Hehe. Thank you for being my beta! I appreciate all those long talks we had about this story and how to write it. You definitely gave me many good suggestions on what to put in here. THANK YOU! You ROCK! And I'm definitely enjoying writing this Christmas fic with you. It's gonna be a good one when we get done with it! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and comments. They've really driven my story to where it is now. Thank you so much! And have a very happy holiday season.

fan4fastln: I really hope that wasn't too mushy for you! Sorry if it was. I just had to put Billie's heart on her sleeve. Besides, I needed to give Van a reason to cry. I love it when there's a good reason for a guy to cry. It's just such a turn on! Uh! Makes me tingle inside. Hehe. I'm just weird like that. Anyway, thanks for sticking around and actually reading my story. I can't tell you how much I appreciated it. I loved all your comments. They picked up my spirits when I really needed it. I can't thank you enough. Best wishes and happy holidays.

agenttanya: Sorry to disappoint about the epilogue. I hope this chapter provided enough closure, though. Thank you for your wonderful comments! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading my story. I can't tell you how grateful I am, really. Thanks for sticking with the story. Happy holidays!

Avillie: I'm not trying to make you look bad! I swear! And seriously, if you're having trouble, I'll be glad to take a look at it and give you some pointers. That's what I'm here for. But, anyway, I hope this chapter answered your questions about Van and Billie. And thank YOU for reading and reviewing. I'm so glad you enjoyed this story. And I really appreciate all your wonderful comments. They really inspired me to write. I hope the holidays are wonderful for you. Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Francesca: Romantic enough? I hope so. I love making guys cry in fics. It's just so damn cute sometimes, especially when it's an appropriate moment. Thank you for reading, enjoying, and reviewing my story. I loved all your wonderful comments. They definitely made me smile. And fear not, this won't be the last Van/Billie fic from me. I will write more, as soon as I finish thisnext one I'm working on. Again, thank you, and have a happy holiday season.

shalimar: I hope you're not biting your fingernails anymore. Hehe. Did I managed to answer all of your questions? I believe so. LoL. Thank you for keeping up with this story. I really appreciate it. Your reviews really helped me solve a few major problems that I completely didn't catch while I was writing. Thank you for keeping up and enjoying every minute of it, and reviewing! Of course! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The Signed and Unsigned: To all of you that have read and reviewed this story that I didn't mention, and those of you who haven't reviewed, I want to thank you all for your continued support. Without you, I couldn't have finished this story. Thank you for being there, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you all for making this story what it has become. I really appreciated it. Have a safe holiday season and a very happy new year!

-DK


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